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et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


1 

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»x     ■»■•"^F' 


THE 


CAP't^lVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


07 


Mr.  JOHN  WILLIAMS, 


p  <L- 


T'ASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  DEERFIELD, 


AND 


■•:'.( 


M  Rs.  MART  RQWLABDSON, 

or  LANCASTER, 


WHO   WERE   TAKEN,   TOGETHER   V.ITH    TIIEIR    FAMILIES 
AND    MIGllBORS,    BY    THE    1  RENCH      AND    INDIA^S, 
AND  CARRIED    INTO   CANADA. 


WRITTBN  BY  THEMSELVES. 


%. 


MJBB-W 


■*" 


EnooKiTfeiD,      ^  ,  >,;, 

Printed  By   HORI  BROWN, 

TtOM   THE    TRESS   OF    E.    MERR:AI,<  &   CO, 

^  /T   "      t^cptcmher. 1811.,^-      ,^ 


'£h. 


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PREFACE. 


t.-. 

^ 

■i*^ 


[BY  THE  EDITOR.] 


THE  history  of  Mrs.  Rowlandsoji's 
captivity  and  release  may  be  considered  as  highly  val- 
uable, in  many  points  of  view.  It  is,  in  itself,  an  in- 
teresting history,  and  is  well  calculated  to  engage  the 
attention  of  children  and  youth.  And  to  give  them  a 
just  view  of  the  ferocity  and  general  habits  of  the  ab- 
originals, as  well  as  of  the  many  sufferings  endured  by 
our  ancestors,  .vhen  settling  the  ground  which  we 
now  accupy.  And  it  cannot  but  lead  all  serious  per- 
sons, who  peruse  it,  to  reflect  on  the  wonderful  good- 
ness of  God,  to  us,  who  come  after  them. 

One  of  the  pr^ent  generation,  who  was  bcrn  iu 
the  county  of  Worcester,  can  scarcely  believe  that  all 
its  inhabitants  were  so  lately  in  fear  of  their  lives, 
from  the  native  savages.  But  Mrs.  Rowlandson's 
history  will  teach  them  that  this  was  indeed  the 
fact. 

It  is  particularly  recommended  to  every  family  in 
those  towns  through  which  Mrs.  Rowlandson  pass- 
ed ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  lead  them  to  give 
praise  to  him,  who  has  now  given  us  such  quietness 
in  our  dwellings,  and  freed  us  from  the  calamities 
which  our  fiither©  endured,  for  the  good  of  th^ir  po8» 
terity.  ^  ^ 


w^^ 


4  P  R  E  F  A  C  h. 

Mr.  Williams'  account  is  of  equal  importance, 
and  calls  for  the  same  grateful  feelings  to  God.  The 
effects  of  his  captivity  will  appear  more  worthy  of  ob- 
servation, if  we  consider  that  some  of  his  posterity 
"who  mingled  with  the  Indiaiis,  in  Canada,  are  now 
preaching  the  gospel  to  the  savages,  to  whom  they'are 
allied  by  blood.  Though  the  ways  of  Providence, 
then  appeared  dark,  yet,  to  us  they  unfold  the  divine 
wisdom  and  goodness.  May  every  reader  be  enabled 
to  sing,  "Just  and  true  arc  thy  ways,  O  thou  king 
gf  saiuis,'* 


•■;     .i  ■ 


■'m- 


-Sfl     ../ 


'.^^/. 


■x^:-' 


■  ;v'-T^%:T^'- 


'\ 


DEDICATION. 


f 


,♦* 


k^®-»:(-i 


TO   HIS  EXCELLENCY, 


JOSEPH  DUDLET,  Esq. 


Tv 


Captain  General  and  Governor  in  cheif,  in  and  over  her 
Majesties  province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  En- 
gland, &c. 


SIR> 


-ft--- 


^' 


IT  was  a  satyrical  answer,  and  deeply- 
reproachful  to  mankind)  which  the  fihilo»ofiher  gave 
to  that  question^  what  soonett  grows  old  ?  replyed, 
thanks.  The  reproach  of  it  would  not  be  so  sensible 
were  there  not  sensible  demonstrations  of  the  truth 
of  it,  in  those  that  wear  the  character  of  the  ingenu- 
ous. Such  as  are  surprized  at,  and  seem  to  have  no 
common  relish  of  divine  goodness  ;  and  too  soon  lose 
the  impression  :  They  sang  his  praise^  but  saonforgat 
his  works.  That  it  would  be  thus  with  respect  to 
our  Benefactors  on  earth,  is  contrary  to  the  ingenuity 
of  human  nature  :  But  that  our  greatful  resentment^ 
of  the  signal  favors  of  Heaven,  should  soon  be  wor%: 
off  by  time,  is  to  the  lust  degree  criminal  an(l  unpari- 
tJonablCt 


DEDICATION. 


It  would  be  unaccountable  stupulity  in  mo,  not  trt 
inaintain  the  most  lively  and  awful  sense  of  di- 
"vine  rebukes,  which  the  Holy  God  has  seen  meet  in 
spotless  sovereignty  to  dispense  to  me,  my  family  and 
people,  ia  deliverin-g  us  into  the  hands  of  thost  tltut 
hated  us  ;  who  led  us  into  a  strange  land  ;  ?ny  Soul 
has  these  still  in  remembrance^  and  is  humbled  in  me  : 
However  God  has  given  us  plentiful  occasion  to  sinj^ 
of  Mercy  as  well  as  Judgme^it;  The  wonders  of  di- 
vine mercy,  which  wc  have  seen  in  the  land  of  our 
Mcaptivity,  and  deliverance  therefrom,  cannot  be  for- 
gotten without  incurring  the  guilt  of  the  blackest  in- 
fi^'ratitude. 

To  preserve  the  memory  of  these,  it  has  been 
thought  advisable  to  publish  a  short. account  of  some 
of  those  signal  appearances  of  divine  power  and  good- 
j^ess  for  us  ;  hoping  it  may  serve  to  excite  the  praise, 
Jaith  and  hofie  of  all  that  love  God  ;  and  may  peculiarly 
serve  to  cherish  a  grateful  spirit,  and  to  render  the 
impressions  ofGod's  mighty  works  indelible  on  my 
heart,  and  on  those  that  were  with  me,. have  seen  the 
wonders  of  the  Lord  and  tasted  of  his  salvation :  That 
we  may  not  be  under  that  heavy  charge  made  against 
Isreal  of  old,  Psalm..  7&.  1 1,42.  They  forgot  his  tvorkfi 
-and  the  wonders  he  shewed  them  :  They  remembered 
not  his  ha?id,  nor  the  day  that  h"  delivered  them  from 
the  enemy. 

And  I  cannot  sir,  but  think  it  most  agreeable  to  my 
duty  to  God,  our  Supreme  redeemer,  to  mention  your 
Excellency's  name  with  honor  j  since  Heaven  has 
honored  you  as  the  prime  instrument  in  returning  our 
captivity.  Sure  I  am,  the  laws  of  justice  and  gratitude 
(which  are  the  laws  of  God)  do  challenge  from  us,  the 
most  public  acknowledgments,  of  your  uncommon 
sympathy  with  us,  your  children,  in  our  bonds,  ex- 
pressed in  all  endearing  methods  of  parental  care  and 
tenderness.  All  your  people  are  cherished  under 
your  wings,  happy  in  your  government ;  and  arc 
obliged  to  bless  God  for  you ;  And  among  your  people^. 


■I 


DEDICATION.  f 

tliose  that  are  immediately  exposed  to  the  outrages 
cf  the  enemy,  liave  peculiarly  felt  refreshments  from 
the  benign  infliicnccij  of  your  wise  ami  tender  conduct  ; 
and  are  under  the  most  sensible  cnpjagemenis  to  ac- 
kno\vledi;;c  your  Excellency,  under  God,  as  the  breath 
of  their  nostrils. 
!  Your  uncommon  sagacity  and  prudence,  in  contrrv- 

ing  to   loose  the  bonds  of  your  captivated  children; 
your  unwearied  vigor,  and  application,  in  pursuin{» 
them,  to  work  our  deliverance,  can  never  be   enough 
praised.     It    is  most    notorious    that     nothing    was 
^         thought  too  difficult  by  you  to  effect  this  design;  in 
fl         that  you  readily    sent  your  own  son,  Mr.  William 
*'^         Dudley,  to  undergo  the  hazards  and  hardships  of  a 
tedious  voyage,   that  this  affair  might  be  transacted 
>vith  success  ;  which  must  not  be  forgotten,  asan  ex- 
pression of  your  great  solicitude  and  zeal  to  recover 
us  from  the  tyranny  and  oppression  of  our  captivity. 

I  doubt  not  but  that  the  God,  whom  herein  you  have 
served,  will  remember,  and  gloriously  reward  you  j 
,;.         and  may  Heaven  long  preserve  you  at  your  healm,  a 
I  blessing  so  necessary  for  the  tranquility  of  this  prov- 

ince, in  this  dark  and  tempestuous  season  ;  may  the 
best  of  blessings  from  the  Father  of  lights,  beshower- 
cd  down  upon  your  person,  family  and  Goyernmeut  ; 
which  shall  be  the  prayer  of,  '^''"'\ 

Your  Excellency* a  ^  ; 

Most  humble )  obedient^ 
and  dutiful  servant^ 
JOHN  mLLlAMS. 


"^ 


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1-<4l 


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CAPTIVITY    AND    DEUVERANCB 


01? 


JOHN  WILLIAMS, 


i>^ 


•>••* 


THE  history  I  am  going  to 
write,  proves,  that  days  of  fasting  and  prayer 
without  reformation,  will  not  avail,  to  turn 
away  the  anger  of  God  from  a  professing 
people  ;  and  yet,  witnesseth,  how  very  ad- 
vantageous, gracious  supplications  arc,  to 
prepare  particular  christians,  patiently  to  suf- 
fer the  will  of  God,  in  very  trying  public 
calamities.  For  some  of  us  moved  with 
fear,  set  apart  a  day  of  prayer^  to  ask  of  God, 
either  to  spare,  and  save  us  from  the  hands 
of  our  enemies,  or  to  prepare  us  to  sanctify 
and  honor  him,  in  what  way  soever  he 
should  come  forth  towards  us.  The  places 
of  scripture  from  whence  we  were  entertain- 
ed, were  GV«.  32.  10,  11,  I  am  ndt^/u/orfhy'of 
the  least  of  all  the  mercies^  and  of  all  fke  truth 
^hich  thou  hast  s)jewed  unto  thy  set'vants  .•-— 
Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  from  the  handhfnt^ 
Brother, from  the  hand  of  Esau  :  For  I  fear  him  ^ 
i€st  he  will  come  and  mite  me,  and  ths  i^othr 


.  i .,'. 


10        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

•with  the  children,  (In  the  forenoom.)  And 
Gen,  32.  26.  And  he  said^  let  me  go,  for  the 
da^  breaketh  :  And  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee 
gOj  fxceft  thou  bless  me.  (In  the  afternoon.) 
From  which  we  were  called  upon  to  spread 
the  causes  of  fear,  relating  to  our  own  selves, 
or  families  before  God  ;  as  also,  how  it  be- 
comes us  with  an  undeniable  importunity  to 
be  following  God,  with  earnest  prayers  for 
his  blessing,  in  every  condition.  And  it  is 
very  observable,  how  God  ordered  our 
prayers  in  a  peculiar  manner,  to  be  going 
up  to  him  ;  to  prepare  us  with  a  right  chris^ 
tian  spirit,  to  undergo  and  endure  suffering 
trials. 

Not  long  after,  the  Holy  and  righteous 
God,  brought  us  under  great  trials,  as  to  our 
persons  and  families,  which  put  us  under  a 
necessity  of  spreading  before  him  in  a  wilder- 
ness, the  distressing  dangers  and  calamities 
of  our  relations  ;  Yea,  that  called  on  us  not- 
withstanding, seeming  present  frowns,  to  re- 
solve by  his  grace  not  to  be  sent  away  with- 
out a  blessing.  Jocob  in  wrestling  has  the 
hollon^  If  his  thigh  put  out  of  joint  j  and  it 
is  said  to  him,  let  me  go,  yet  he  is  rather 
animated  to  an  heroical  christian  resolution 
to  continue  earnest  for*ihe  blessings,  than 
discouraged  from  asking. 

On  the  twenty  ninth  of  February,  1 703,  4, 
not  long  before  break  of  days  ^he  enemy 
came  in  like  a  flood  upon  us  \  our   watch 


•'•^sm:!^' 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


11 


"su; 


being  unfaithful :  An  evil,  whose  awful  ef- 
fects,  in  a  surprizal  of  cur  tort,  should  be- 
speak all  watchmen  to  avoid,  as  they  would 
not  bring  the  charge  of  blood  upon  them- 
selves. They  came  to  my  Louse  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  onset,  and  by  their  violent 
endeavors  to  break  open  doors  and  windows, 
with  j^xes^  and  Hatchets^  awakened  me  out 
of  sleep  ;  on  which  I  leaped  out  of  bed,  and 
running  toward  the  door,  perceived  the  cne-, 
my  making  their  entrance  into  the  house : 
I  called  to  awaken  two  soldiers,  in  the  cham- 
ber ;  and  running  toward  my  bedside,  for 
my  arms  ;  the  enemy  immediately  broke  in- 
to the  room,  I  judge  to  the  number  of  twenty, 
with  painted  faces  ^  and  hideous  acclamations* 
I  reached  up  my  hands  to  the  bedtcster,  for 
my  pistol,  uttering  a  short  petition  to  God, 
for  everlasting  mercies  for  me  and  mine,  on  the 
account  of  the  merits  of  our  Glorified  redeemer  ; 
expecting  a  present  passage  through  the  val- 
ley of  the  shadow  of  death  :  Saying  in  my- 
self,  as  Isaiah y  38.  10,  11./  said  in  the  cutting 
off  my  days^  I  shall  go  to  the  gates  of  the  grave  : 
I  a?n  deprived  of  the  residue  of  my  years^  I 
saidyl shall  not  see  the  Lord^  even  the  Lor d^  in 
the  land  of  the  living  :  1  shall  behold  man  no 
more  v.nth  the  inhabitants  of  tht  world.  Tak- 
ing down  my  pistol,  1  cocked  it,  and  put  it 
to  the  breast  of  the  first  Indian  who  came 
up  J  but  my'  pistol  missing  fire,  I  was  seized 
by  three  Indian?,  who  disarmed  nxe^,  and 


n        CAPTIVITY  AKD  DELIVERANCE 


,,( 


bound  me,  naked  as  I  was  in  my  shirt,  and 
so  I  stood  for  near  the  space  of  an  hour : 
Binding  me,  they  told  me  they  would  carry 
me  to  Quebech  My  pistol  missing  fire,  was 
an  occasion  of  my  life's  being  preserved  : 
Since  which  I  have  also  found  it  profitable  to 
be  crossed  in  my  own  will.  The  judgment 
of  God  did  not  long  slumber  against  one  of 
the  three  which  took  me,  who  was  a  Captain, 
for  by  sunrising  he  received  a  mortal  shot, 
from  my  next  neighbors  house  ;  who  op- 
posed so  great  a  number  of  French  and  Indians 
as  three  hundred,  and  yet  were  no  more  than 
seven  men  in  an  ungarrisoned  house. 

I  cannot  relate  the  distressing  care  I  had 
for  my  Wife,  who  had  lien  in  but  a  few 
weeks  before,  and  for  my  poor  diildren,  fam- 
ily, and  christian  neighbors.  The  enemy 
fell  to  rifling  the  house,  and  entered  in  great 
numbers  into  every  room  of  the  house.  I 
begged  of  God  to  remember  mercy  in  the 
4iiidst  of  judgment  that  he  would  so  far  re- 
strain their  wrath  and  prevent  their  murder- 
ing of  us  :  That  we  might  have  grace  is  g/O' 
ri/y  his  na??je,  whether  in  life  or  death  ;  and  as 
I  was  able,  committed  our  souls  to  God. 
Tvlie  enemies  who  entered  the  house  were  all 
of  them  Indians  and  Macqua^s^  inflexible 
over  me  a  while,  holding  up  hatchets  over 
my  head,  threatening  to  burn  all  I  had ;  but 
yet  God  beyond  expectation,  made  us  in  a 
gr^at  measure  to  be  pitied  :  For  though  some 


f 


w 


\ 


%■: 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


were  so  cruel  and  barbarous  as  to  take  and 
carry  to  the  door,  two  of  my  children  and 
murder  them,  as  also  a  Negro  woman  ;  yet 
they  gave  me  liberty  to  put  on  my  clothes, 
keeping  me  bound  with  a  cord  on  one  arm,  till 
I  put  on  my  clothes  to  the  other  ;  and  then 
changing  my  cord,  they  let  me  dress  myself,  and 
then  pinioned  me  again.     Gave  liberty  to  my 
wife  to  dress  herself, and  our  children.  About 
sun  an  hour  high,  we  were  all  carried  out  of 
the  house,  for  a  march,  and  saw  many  of 
the  houses  of  my   neighbors  in  flames,  per- 
ceiving the  whole  fort,  one  house  excepted, 
to  be  taken.     Who  can  tell,  what  sorrows 
pierced  our    souls,  when  we  saw  ourselves 
carried   away  from  God's  sanctuary,  to  go 
into  a  strange  land  exposed  to  so  many  trials  ? 
the  journey  being  at  least  three  hundred 
miles  we  were  to  travel ;  the  snow  up  to 
the   knees,    and  we   never  inur'd  to   such 
hardships  and  fatigues,  the  place  we  were  to 
be  carried  to,  a  popish  county.     Upon  my 
parting  from  the  town,  they  fired  my  house 
and  barn.     We  were  carried  over  the  river, 
to   a  spot  on  the   Mountain,   about  a  mile 
from  my  house,  where  we  found  a  great 
number   of  our  christian  neighbors,  men, 
women,  and  children,  to  the  number  cfan 
hundred,  nineteen  of  which  were  afterward 
murdered  by  the  way,  and  two  sta^^ved  to 
d^ath,  near  Cowass^  in  a  time  of  grea^  scar- 
city or  famine,  the  savages  under \#&i|ftlier^; 

B  ^ 


U        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


When  we  came  to  the  foot  of  our  mountain, 
they  took  away  our  shoes,  and  gave  us  in  the 
room  of  them,  Indian  shoes,  to  prepare  us 
for  our  Travel.  Whilst  we  were  there  the 
English  beat  out  a  company  that  remained 
m  the  town,  and  pursued  them  to  the  river, 
killing  and  wounding  many  of  them  ;  but 
the  body  of  the  army  being  alarmed,  they 
repulsed  those  few  English  that  pursued 
them.    '  V 

I  am  not  able  to  give  you  an  account  of 
tlie  number  of  the  enemy  slain,  but  I  observ- 
ed after  this  fight,  no  great  insulting  mirth, 
as  I  expected  ;  and  saw  many  wounded  per- 
sons, and  for  several  days  together,  they  bur- 
ied of  their  party,  and  one  of  chief  note  a- 
mong  the  Macquas.  The  Governor  of  Can- 
ada told  me,  his  army  had  that  success  with 
the  loss,  but  of  eleven  men,  three  Frenchmen^ 
one  of  which  was  the  Lieutenant  of  the  ar- 
my, five  MacquaSy  and  three  Indians  :  But 
after  my  arrival  at  Ouebeck^  I  spake  with  an 
English  man,  who  was  taken  the  last  war, 
and  married  there,  and  of  their  religion  ; 
who  told  me,  they  lost  above  forty  and  that 
many  were  wounded  :  I  replied,  the  Gover- 
nor oi  Canada  said  they  lost  but  eleven  i;  en  ; 
he  answered,  it  is  true,  that  there  was  but 
eleven  killed  outright  at  the  taking  of  the 
fort,  but  that  many  others  were  wounded,  a- 
inong  whom  was  the  Ensign  of  the  Frcnc^; 
but  said  he  they  had  a  %ht  in  the  meadow, 


i 


Si 


e 

s 


Or  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


15 


and  that  in  both  engagements,  they  lost 
more  than  forty.  Some  of  the  soldiers, 
both  French  and  Indians  then  present  told  me 
so,  (said  he)  adding,  that  the  French  always 
endeavor  to  conceal  the  number  of  their 
slain* 

After  this,  we  went  up  the  mountain  and, 
saw  the  smoke  of  the  fires  in  the  town,  and 
beheld  the  awful  desolations  of  our  town. 
And  before  we  marched  any  farther,  they 
killed  a  sucking  child  of  the  English.  There 
were  slain  by  the  enemy  of  the  inhabitants 
of  our  town,  to  the  number  of  thirty  eight, 
besides  nine  of  the  neighboring  towns.  We 
traveled  not  far  the  first  day  ;  God  made  the 
heathen  so  to  pity  our  children,  that  though 
they  had  several  wounded  persons  of  their 
own  to  carry  upon  their  shoulders,  for  thir- 
ty  miles,  befoie  they  came  to  the  river,  yet 
they  carried  our  children,  uncapal>]c  of  trav- 
elling, in  their  arms,  and  upon  tlicir  shoul- 
ders.  When  we  came  to  our  lodging  place, 
the  first  night,  they  dug  away  the  snow, 
and  made  some  wigwams,  cut  down  some  of 
the  small  branches  of  the  spruce  trees  to 
lye  down  on,  and  gave  the  prisoners  soUiC 
what  to  eat ;  but  we  had  but  little  appetite. 
1  was  pinioned,  and  bound  down  that  night, 
and  so  1  was  every  night  whilst  ljp^*as.  with 
the  army.  Some  of  the  enemy  wh0  b^d^ght 
drink  with  them  from  the  towls^^  ^|Si  to 
4pnking,  and  in   their  drunkc#  %. 


*. 

^«i«^#. 


16         CAPTIVITV   AND  DELIVERANCE 

killed  my  negro  man,  the  only  dead  person  I 
either  saw  at  the  town  or  in  the  way.  In 
the  night  an  English  man  made  his  escape  ; 
in  the  morning  I  \vas  called  for,  and  oi  dered 
by  the  General  to  tell  the  English^  that  if  any 
more  made  their  escape,  they  would  burn 
the  rest  of  the  prisoners.  He  that  took  mc, 
tvas  unwilling  to  let  me  speak  with  any  of 
the  prisoners,  as  we  marched ;  but  on  the 
morning  of  the  second  day,  he  being  ap- 
pointed to  guard 'the  rear,  I  was  put  into 
the  hands  of  my  other  master,  who  permit- 
ted me  to  speak  to  my  wife,  when  I  over- 
took her,  and  to  walk  with  her,  to  help  her 
in  her  journey.  On  the  way,  we  discoursed 
of  the  happiness  of  those  who  had  a  right  to 
an  house  not  made  with  hands  ^  eternal  inthe  Heav* 
ens  ;  and  God  for  a  Father^  and  friend  ;  as  al- 
so, that  it  was  our  reasonable  duty,  quietly 
to  submit  to  the  will  of  God,  and  to  say,  the 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done.  My  wife  told  mc 
her  strength  of  body  began  to  fail,  and  that 
I  must  expect  to  part  with  her  ;  saying  she 
hope4  ^0(1  would  preserve  my  life,  and  the 
life  oJF  some,  if  not  of  all  our  children,  with 
us  ;  and  commended  to  me,  under  God,  the 
care  of  them,  and  never  spake;  any  discon- 
tented word  as  to  what  had  befallen  us,  but 
with  suitable  expressions  justified  God  in 
what  had  befallen  us.  We  soon  made  an 
halt  in  which  time  my  chief  surviving  mas- 
ter came  up,  upon  which  I  was  put  upon 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


If 


marching  with  the  foremost,  and  so  made  to 
take  my  last  farewell  o£  my  wife,  the  desire  of 
my  eyes^  and  companion  in  many  mercies  and 
afflictions.  Upon  our  separation  from  each 
other,  we  ar^ied  for  each  other,  Grace  sufli- 
cient,  for  what  God  should  call  us  to  :  After 
our  being  parted  from  one  another,  she 
spent  the  few  remaining  minutes  of  her  stay, 
in  reading  the  holy  scriptures ;  which  she 
was  wont  personally  every  day  to  delight 
her  soul  in  reading,  praying,  meditating  of, 
and  over,  by  herself,  in  her  closet,  over  and 
above  what  she  heard  out  of  them  in  our 
family  worship.  I  was  made  to  wade  over  a 
small  river,  and  so  were  all  the  EngUshy  the 
water  above  knee  deep,  the  stream  very  swift  j 
and  after  that  to  travel  up  a  small  mountain, 
my  strength  was  almost  spent,  before  I  came 
to  the  top  of  it :  No  sooner  had  I  overcome 
the  difGculty  of  that  ascent,  but  I  was  per- 
mitted  to  sit  down,  and  be  unburthened  of 
my  pack  ;  I  sat  pitying  those  w^ho  were  be- 
hind, and  intreated  my  master  to  let  me  go 
down,  and  help  my  wife,  but  he  rcfibsed, 
and  would  not  let  me  stir  from  him,  I  a^ked 
each  of  the  prisoner?  (as  they  pased  by  me) 
after  her,  and  heard  that,  passing  thrQugJk 
the  above  mentioned  river,  she  fell  down,  and 
was  plunged  over  head  and  ears  in  the  w;|^ 
ter  :  after  which  she  ti* avelled  pot  f ai^  f or 
3t  the  foot  of  that  mouilti^iinf  Atfe:  f r^el 
and  blooij    thirsty  savage    wliQ 


m» 


I 

I  - 

I 


13        CAPTIVITY  AND  DEUVERANCR 

slew  her  with  his  hatchet,  at  one  stroke ; 
the  tidings  of  which  were  very  awful :  And 
yet  such  was  the  heard  heartedness  of  the 
adversary,  that  my  tears  were  reckoned  to 
me  as  a  reproach.  My  loss,  and  the  loss  of  my 
children  was  great,  our  hearts  were  so  filled 
with  sorrow,  that  nothing  but  the  comforta- 
ble hopes  of  he.  ^eing  taken  away  in  mercy, 
to  herself,  from  the  evils  we  were  to  see,  feel 
and  suffer  under,  (and  joined  to  the  assembly 
of  the  spirits  of  Just  me?i  made  petfect,  to  rest 
in  peace,  and  j(?y  imspeakable  and  full  of  glory  ; 
and  the  good  pleasure  of  God  thus  to  exer. 
else  us)  could  have  kept  us  from  sinking  un- 
der, at  that  time.  That  scripture,  Job  1.2]. 
'■  '  Naked  came  I  out  of  my  mothers  womb,  and 
,  naked  shall  I  return  thither  :  The  Lord  gavCy 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away^  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord :  Was  brought  to  my  mind, 
and  from  it,  that  an  afflicting  God  was  to  be 
glorified  5  with  some  other  places  of  scrip- 
ture, to  persuade  to  a  patient  bearing  my 
afiKctions.  ^    .  i?v 

We  were  again  called  upon  to  march  with 
a  far  heavier  burden  on  my  spirits,  than  oa 
my  back.  1  begged  o^  God,  to  over  rule  in 
his  providence,  that  the  corpse  of  one  so  dear 
to  me  and  of  one  whose  spirit  he  had  taken 
to  dwell  with  him  in  glory,  might  meet  with 
a  christian  burial,  and  not  be  left  for  meat 
to  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  beasts  of  the 
earth :  A  mercy  that  God  graciously  vouch* 


saf« 

hei 

as 

to 

ter 

sue 

an< 

of 

era! 


.>'  (' 


Or  JOHN  Williams:  ;/ 


19 


safed  to  grant.     For  God  put   it  into  the 
hearts  of  my  neighbors,  to  come  out  is  far 
us  she  lay,  to  take  up  her  corpse,   rccarry  it 
to  the  town,  and  decently  to  bury  it  soon  af- 
ter.    In    our    march   they  killed    another 
sucking  infant  of  one  of  my  neighbors  ; 
and  before  night,  a  girl  of  about  eleven  years 
of  age.     I  was  made  to  mourn,  at  the  consid- 
eration of  my  flocks  being  so  far  a  flock  of 
slaughter,  many  being  slain  in  the  town,  and 
so  many  murdered  in  so  few  miles  from  t"he 
town  ;  and  from  fears  what  we  must  yet 
expect,  from  such  who  delightfully  imbrued 
their  hands  in  the  blood  of  so   many  of  his 
people.    When  we  came  to  our  lodging  place, 
an  Indian  captain  from  the  eastward,  spake 
to  my  master  about  killing  of  me,  and  taking 
off  my  scalp.     I  lift  up  my  heart  to  God,  to 
implore  his  grace,  and  mercy  in  such  a  time 
of  need  ;  and  afterwards  I  told  my  master,  if 
he  intended  to  kill  me,  I  desired  he  would  let 
me  know  of  it,  assuring  him  that  my  death 
after  a  promise  of  quarter,  would  bring  the 
guilt  of  blood  upon  him.     He  told   me  he 
would  not  kill  me.     We  laid  down  and  slept, 
for  God  sustained  and   kept   us.     In  the 
morning  we  were  all  called  before. the  cfeief 
'Sachems  of  the  Macqua*s  and  Indians^  that  a 
more  equal   distribution  migl^  be  made  of 
the  prisoners,  among  them  :  At  my  going 
froip  the  wigwam,  my  best  clothing  ^<^stak- 
.efii  from  me.    As  I  came  nigh  the -j^^ai^^^- 


f  ■•,. 


90        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERAMCE 

pointed,  some  of  the  captives  met  me,  and 
told  me,  they  thought  the  enemies  were  go- 
ing to  burn  so  me  of  us,  for  they  had  pealed 
off  the  bark  from  several  trees,  and  acted  very 
strangely.  To  whom  I  replied,  they  could  act 
nothing  against  us,  but  as  they  were  permit- 
ted  of  God,  and  1  was  persuaded,  he  would 
prevent  such  severities  When  we  came  to 
the  wigwam  appointed,  several  of  the  cap- 
tives were  taken  from  their  former  masters, 
and  put  into  the  hands  of  others ;  but  I  was 
sent  again  to  my  two  masters,  who  brought 
me  from  my  house.     .  v  v 

In  our  fourth  days  march, the  enemy  killed 
another  of  my  neighbors,  who  being  nigh 
the  time  of  travail,  was  wearied  with  her 
journey.  When  we  came  to  the  great  river, 
the  enemy  took  sleighs  to  draw  their  wound- 
ed, several  of  our  children,  and  their  packs, 
and  marched  a  great  pace.  I  travelled  many 
hours  in  water  up  to  the  ankles  :  Near  night 
I  was  very  lame,  having  before  my  travel 
wronged  my  ankle  bone  and  sinews  :  I 
thought,  and  so  did  others  that  I  should  not 
be  able  to  hold  out  to  travel.  I  lift  my  heart 
to  God,  (my  only  resource)  to  remove  my 
lameness,  and  carry  me  through  with  my 
children  and  neighbors,  if  he  judged  it  best; 
however  I  desired  God  would  be  with  m©  in 
my  great  change,  if  he  called  me  by  suc|i^jt: 
death  to  glorify  him  ;  and  that  he  wop|^ 
take  care  of  my  children,  and    neighborsj 


M, 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


21 


and  bless  them  ;  and  within  a  little  space  of 
time,  1  was  well  of  my  lameness,  to  the  joy 
of  my  children,  and  neighbors,  who  saw  a 
great  alteration  in  my  travelling. 

On  the  Saturday,  (March  4,)  the  journey 
was  long  and  tedious  :  We  travelled  with 
such  speed,  that  four  women  were  tired,  and 
then  slain  by  them  who  led  them  captive. 

On  Sunday,  (March  5,)  we  rested,  and  I 
was  permitted  to  pray  and  preach  to  the  cap- 
tives. The  place  of  scripture  spoken  from, 
was  Lam.  1.18.  The  Lord  is  righteous,  for  I 
have  rebelled  against  his  conwiandjnent  :  Hear, 
J  pray  you^  all  people  behold  my  sorrow  ;  my  vir- 
gins  and  my  young  men  are  gone  into  captivity* 
The  enemy  who  said  to  us,  ^ing  us  one  of 
Zions  songs,  were  ready  some  of  them  to  up- 
braid us,  because  our  singing  was  not  so  loud 
as  their's.  When  the  Macquas  and  Indians 
were  chief  in  power,  we  h;id  this  revival  in 
our  bondage,  to  join  together  in  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  incourage  one  another  to 
patient  bearing  the  indignation  of  the  Lord, 
till  he  should  plead  our  Jause.  When  we  ar- 
rived to  New  France,  we  were  forbidden  pray- 
ing one  with  another,  or  joining  together  in 
the  service  of  God. 

The  next  day,  (Monday,  March  6,)  soon  af- 
ter we  marched,  we  had  an  alarm  ;  on  w^hich 
many  of  the  English  were  bound  ;  I  wa». 
ther<  near  the  front,  and  my  masters  mit 
with  me  so  I  was  not  bou^nd.    Thi^  alarm 


m^m 


22        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCK 


m 


It 


was  occasioned  by  some  Indians  shooting  at 
geese  that  flew  over  them,  which  put  them 
into  a  considerable  consternation  and  flight ; 
but  after  they  came  to  understand  that  they 
were  not  pursued  by  the  l.nglish,  they  boast* 
cd,  that  the  English  would  not  come  out  a- 
gainst  them,  as  they  had  boasted  before  we 
began  our  journey  in  the  morning.  J  Iiey 
killed  this  day  two  women  who  were  so  faint 
they  could  not  travel. 

The  next  day  (Tuesday,  March  7,)  in  tlic 
morning  before  we  travelled,  one  Mury 
Brcoks^  a  pious  young  woman,  came  to  the 
wigwam  where  1  was,  and  told  me,  she  de- 
sired to  bless  God, who  had  inclined  the  heart 
of  her  master,  to  let  her  come  and  take  her 
farewel  of  me.  Said  she,  by  my  falls  on  the 
ice  yestarday,  I  wronged  myself,  causing  an 
abortion  this  night,  so  that  I  am  not  able  to 
travel  far ;  I  know  they  will  kill  me  to  day  ; 
but  (says  she)  God  has  (praised  be  his  name) 
by  his  spirit  with  his  word,  strengthened  me 
to  my  last  encounter  with  death  ;  and  men- 
tioned to  me  some  places  of  scripture  so  sea- 
sonably sent  in  for  her  support.  And  (says 
she)  1  am  not  afraid  of  death  ;  1  can  through 
the  grace  of  God  cheerfully  submit  to  the  will 
of  God.  Pray  for  me  (said  she)  at  parting, 
that  God  would  take  me  to  himself.  Ac- 
cordingly she  was  killed  that  day.  I  men- 
tion  it  to  the  end,  I  may  stir  up  all  in 
their  young  days,  to  improve  the  death  of 


Chris 
boldn 
Til 
were 
small 
carric 
tastei 
me,  \ 
my  b 
(he 
if  you 
not  r 
tion  I 
Th 
again 
of  caj 
a  psal 
from 
ing  t 
whicl 
by  h 
(Frid; 
when 
carry 

w: 

India 
years 
And 
that 
cong: 
his  sa 
« tt)g  e 


Op  JOHN   WILLIAMS. 


SI 


Christ  by  faith,  to  a  giving  them  an  holy 
boldness  in  the  day  of  death. 

The  next  day  (Wednesday,  March  8,)  we 
were  made  to  scatter  one  from  another  into 
smaller  companies,  and  one  of  my  children 
carried  away  with  Indians  belonging  to  tho 
Eastern  parts.  At  night  my  master  came  to 
me,  with  my  pistol  in  his  hand,  and  put  it  to 
my  breast,  and  said,  now  I  will  kill  you,  for 
(he  said)  you  would  have  killed  me  with  it 
if  you  could.  But  by  the  grace  of  God  I  was 
not  much  daunted,  and  whatever  his  inten- 
tion might  be,  God  prevented  my  death. 

The  next  day,  (Thursday,  March  9,)  I  was 
again  permitted  to  pray  with  that  company 
of  captives  with  me,  and  we  allowed  to  sing 
a  psalm  together.  After  which,  I  was  taken 
from  all  the  company  of  the  English,  except- 
ing two  children  of  my  neighbors,  one  of 
which,  a  girl  of  four  years  of  age,  was  killed 
by  her  Macqua  piaster  the  next  morning, 
(Friday.  March  10,)  the  snow  being  so  deep 
when  we  left  the  river,  that  he  could  not 
carry  the  child  and  his  pack  too. 

When  the  sabbath  came  (March  12,)  one 
Indian  staid  with  me,  and  a  little  boy  nine 
years  old,  whilst  the  rest  went  a  hunting. 
And  when  1  was  here,  I  thought  with  myself 
that  God  had  now  separated  me  from,  the 
congregation  of  his  people,  who  was  now  in 
hissanctuary,when  he  commandeththe  bless- 
«  ing  even  lite  for  ever:  And  made  to  bewail 


w4 


':l 


d4        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


I 


my  unfruitfulness  under,  and  untliankfulncss 
for  such  a  mercy.     When  rny  spirit  was  al- 
most overwhelmed  within  me,  at  the  consid- 
'  eration  of  what  had  past  over  me,  and  what 
was  to  be  expected  ;  1  was  ready  almost  to 
sink  in  my  spirit;  but  God  spake  those  words 
with  a  greater  eflicacy  than  man  could  speak 
them,   for   my    strengthning  and   support. 
Psal.   118.  17.  /  shall  not  die,  but  live:  And 
declare  the  works  of  the  Lord*     Psal.  42.   11, 
Why  art  thou  cast  down  0  my  soul  ?  and  why 
art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ?  hope   thou   in 
God  :  For  I  shall  yet  praise  him^  who  is  the 
health  of  my  countenance^  and  my  God.  Nehem. 
1.   8.  9.  Remember^   I  beseech  ttee,  the  word 
that    thou   commandest    thy    servant    Moses, 
raying  if  ye  transgress^   I    will  scatter  you  a- 
broad  among  the  nations ;  But  if  ye  turn  unto 
me^  and  keep  my  commandments^  and  do  them^ 
f  hough  there  were  of  you  cast  out  unto  theut" 
iermosi  pari  of  the  heaven^  yei  will  I  gather  them 
from   thence^  and  will  bring  thent^  unto    the 
flace  that  I  have  chosen  to  set  my  name  there. 
These  three  places  of  scripture,  one  after  an- 
other, by  the  grace  of  God  strengthened  my 
hopes   that  God  would  so  far  restrain  the 
wrath    of   the  adversary,  that  the  greatest 
number   of  us  left  alive,  should  be  carried 
throYigh  so  tedious  a  jjourney  ;  that  though 
my  children   had  no  father   to  take  care  of 
them,  that  word  quieted  me  to  a    patient 
wailing  to  see  the  end  the  Lord  would  make. 


-  *•* 


^m^ 


Oy  JOHN  WILLIAMS.      /•  25 

Jer.  49.  11.  Leave  thy  fatherless  children,  I 
will  preserve  the??i  alive ^  and  let  thy  widczvs 
trust  in  me.  Accordingly  God  carr'ed  them 
wonderfully  through  great  difficulties  and 
dangers.  My  youngest  daughter  aged  seven 
years,  was  carried  all  the  journey,  and  look- 
ed after  with  a  great  deal  of  tenderness. 
My  youngest  son  aged  four  years,  was  wOiv?. 
derfully  preserved  from  death  ;  for  though 
they  that  carried  him  or  drawed  him  on 
sleighs,  were  tired  with  their  journeys,  yet 
the  savage  cruel  tempers,  were  so  overrul*- 
ed  by  God,  that  they  did  not  kill  him,  but 
in  their  pity  he  was  spared,  and  others  would 
take  care  of  him  ;  so  that  four  times  on 
their  journey  he  was  spared,  and  others 
would  take  care  of  him,  till  at  last  he  arrived 
at  Mont  Royal,  where  a  French  Gentlewom- 
an pitying  the  child,  redeemed  it  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  heathen.  My  son  Samuel,  al%3  ! 
my  eldest  daughter,  were  pitied  so  as  to.l 
drawn  on  sleighs,  when  unable  to  travel.  Ji^i 
though  they  suffered  very  much  through  scar*^ 
city  of  food,  and  tedious  journies,  they  wer^ 
carried  through  ti  Mont  Royal.  And  my 
son  Stephen  about  eleven  years  of  age,  won-i 
derfully  preserved  from  death,  in  the  fanofinc 
w^hereof  three  English  persons  died,  and  after 
eight  months  brought  into  Shamblee. 

My  master  returned  on  theevenin^qf  the 
Sabbath,  (March  12,)  and  told  me,  l%1iatl 
jkijled  five  moose.  Jlhc  next  day,  (Mondf^  „ 


i 


25        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


March  13,)  we  were  remo'/ed  to  tKe  place 
wh^rc  he  killed  them.  We  tarried  there 
three  days^  till  we  had  roasted  and  dried  the 
meat.  My  master  made  me  a  pair  of  snow- 
shoes,  for  (said  he)  you  cannot  possibly  trav- 
el without ;  the  snow  being  knee  deep.  We 
parted  from  thence  heavy  laden  ;  I  travelled 
^^4th  a^urden  on  my  back,  with  snowshoes, 
twentyfive  miles  the  first  day  of  wearing 
them  ;  and  again  the  next  day  till  afternoon ; 
and  then  we  caRie  to  the  French  Kiver.  My 
master  at  this  place  took  away  my  pack,  and 
drew  the  whole  load  on  the  ice  j  but  my 
bones  seemed  to  be  misplaced,  and  I  unable 
to  travel  with  any  speed.  My  feet  were 
very  sore,  and  each  night  I  wrung  blood  oat 
of  my  stockings,  when  I  pulled  tnem  oflF. 
My  shins  also  were  very  sore,  being  cut  with 
crusty  snow,  in  the  time  of  my  travelling 
without  snowshoes.  But  finding  some  dry 
oak  leaves,  by  the  river  banks,  I  put  them  to 
my  shins,  and  in  once  applying  them,  they 
were  healed.  And  here  my  master  was  very 
kind  to  me,  would  always  give  me  the  best 
he  had  to  eat  •,  and  by  the  goodness  of  God, 
I  never  wanted  a  meal's  meat  during  my  cap- 
tivity ;  though  some  of  my  children  and 
neighbors  were  greatly  wounded  (as  I  may 
say)  with  the  arrows  of  famine,  and  pinching 
want ;  having  for  many  days  nothing  bu4 
roots  to  live  upon,  and  not  much  of  th 
neither.    My   master  gpve  mc  a  piece  gf 


BIBL 

script 
my  n 
jourr 
chisii 
with 
arriv 
used 
them 
Freni 
them 
M 
sore 
very 
and  ] 
in  sn 
hold 
ofd^ 
out  I 
and 
giea 
fron 
swol 
scar 
the 
you 
not 
et,  s 
brai 
pose 


B' 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


tr 


e 
e 

e 


BIBLE  ;  never  disturbed  me  in  reading  the 
scriptures,  or  in  praying  to  God.  Many  of 
my  neighbors  also,  found  that  mercy  in  their 
journey,  to  have  bibles,  psalm  books,  cate- 
chism*, and  good  books,  put  into  their  hands, 
with  liberty  to  use  them  ;  and  yet  after  their 
arrival  at  Canada,  all  possible  endeavors  vere 
used  to  deprive  them  of  them.  Some  of 
them  say  their  bibles  were  demanded  by  the- 
French  priests,  and  never  redelivered  to 
them,  to  ^heir  great  grief  and  sorrow. 

My  march  on  the  French  river  was  very 
sore  ;  for  fearing  a  thaw,  we  travelled  ^ 
very  great  pace ;  my  feet  were  so  bruised, 
and  my  joints  so  distorted  by  my  travelling 
in  snowshoes,  that  I  thought  it  impossible  to 
hold  out.  One  morning  a  little  before  break 
of  day,  my  master  came  and  awaked  me 
out  of  my  sleep,  saying.  Arise,  pray  to  God, 
and  eat  your  breakfast,  for  we  must  go  a 
great  way  to  day.  After  prayer,  I  ^rq 
from  my  knees,  but  my  feet  were  so  tend 
swoln,  bruised,  and  full  of  pain,  that  1  co^* 
scarce  stand  upon  them,  without  holding  ^: 
the  wigwam.  And  when  the  Indians  said 
you  must  run  today  ;  I  answered,  I  couid 
not  run*  My  master  pointing  out  his  hatch- 
et, said  to  me.  Then  I  must  dash  out  your 
brains,  and  take  off  your  scalp.  I  said,  I  sup« 
pose  then  you  will  do  so,  for  1  am  not  able 
to  travel  irith  speed.  He  sent  mq  away  a- 
M^^^  on  the  ice.    About  sun  half  aa  kour 


:::f:|> 


■.. 


rcHf 


ij 


:^, 


i»        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

high,  he  overtook  me,  for  I  had  gone  very 
slowly,  not  thinking  it  possible  to  travel  five 
miles.  When  he  caine  up,  he  called  me  to 
run  J  I  told  him  I  could  go  no  faster  j  he 
passed  by  without  saying  one  word  more : 
So  that  sometimes  I  scarce  saw  any  thing  of 
him  for  an  hour  together.  I  travelled  from 
about  break  of  day  till  dark,  never  so  much 
as  sat  down  at  noon  to  cat  warm  victuals, 
eating  frozen  meat  which  I  had  in  my  coat 
pocket,  as  I  traveled.  We  went  that  day 
two  of  their  days  journey,  as  they  came 
down,  I  judge  we  went  forty  five  miles  that 
day.  God  wonderfully  supported  me,  and 
so  far  renewed  my  strength,  that  in  the  af- 
ternoon I  was  stronger  to  travel,  than  in  the 
forenoon.  My  strength  was  restored  and 
renewed  to  admiration.  We  should  never 
distrust  the  care  and  compassion  of  God, 
who  can  give  strength  to  them  who  have  na 
xtiight,  and  power  to  them  that  are  ready  to 
faint. 

When  we  entered  on  the  lake,  the  ice  was 
rougb^and  uneven,  which  was  very  grievous 
to  my  feet,  that  could  scarce  bear  to  be  set 
down  on  the  smooth  ice,  on  the  river  ;  I  lift 
up  my  cry  to  God  in  ejaculatory  requests. 
Thai  be  *would  fake  notice  of  my  state,  and  some 
vjaj  or  other  relieve  me,  I  had  not  marchcdt 
above  half  a  mile,  before  there  fell  a  moist 
3now,  about  an  inch  and  an  half  deep,  that 
made  it  very  soft  for  my  feet  to  p^  over 


the  la 
ily  w 
tryin; 
from 
who 
mann 
they 
nuts  a 
week 
stay  t 
ting 
inglo 
when 
Frenc 
W( 
west: 
two 
After 
er  wh 
noe   ( 
on  a 
small 
Erenc 


Th 
Mont 
me : 
Ki§  h 


1 


Ot  JOHN  WILUAMS.  ^ 

(he  lake,  to  the  place  where  my  masters  fam- 
ily was.  Wonderful  favors  in  the  m  idst  of 
trying  afflictions  !  We  went  a  day's  journey 
from  the  lake,  to  a  small  company  of  Indians, 
who  were  a  hunting ;  they  were,  after  their 
manner,  kind  to  me,  and  gave  me  the  best 
they  had,  which  was  Moose  flesh,  ground 
nuts  and  cramberries,  but  no  bread — for  three 
weeks  together  I  £at  no  bread.  After  our 
stay  r^  ere,  and  undergoing  difficulties  in  cut- 
ting wood,  and  suffering  from  lousiness,  hav- 
ing lousy  old  cfothes  of  soldiers  put  upon  me 
when  they  stript  me  of  mine,  to  sell  to  the 
French  soldiers  in  the  army. 

We  again  began   a  march  for  Shamblee  ;\ 
we  stayed  at  a  branch  of  the  lake,  and  feasted 
two  or  three  days  on  geese  we  killed  there/ 
After  another  day's  travel,  we  came  to  a  riv« 
er  where  the  ice  was  thawed,  we  made  a  ca-C 
noe   of  elm  bark,  in   one  day  j  arid  arrived 
on  a  Saturday   *near  noon  at  Shcmblee^  a 
small  village,  where  is  a  g;^rrison  and  fort  of  , 
French  soldiers.   .  ;^ 

At  Shambl,e£.- 

This  Village  is  about  fifteen  miles  froiin'^ 
Mont  RoyaL  The  French  were  very  kind  to 
me  :  A  gentleman  of  the  place  took  mr  into 
Ki§  hpuse,  and  to  hia  table,  and  lodged  me 

*  Suppose  March  25, 


^^1 


i,  I 


':-|. 


mm 


SO        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

at  night  on  a  good  feather  bed.  The  Inhab^ 
itants  and  oflicers  were  very  obliging  to  me, 
the  little  time  1  stayed  with  them,  and  prom- 
ised to  write  a  letter  to  the  Governor  in 
chief,  to  inform  him  of  my  passing  down  the 
river.  Here  I  saw  a  girl  taken  from  our 
town,  and  a  young  man,  who  informed  me,^ 
that  the  greatest  part  of  the  captives  wcrQ 
come  in,  and  that  two  of  my  children  were  at 
Mont  Royal  ;  that  many  of  the  captives  had 
been  in,  three  weeks  before  my  arrival  : 
Mercy  in  the  midst  of  judgment  !  As  we 
passed  along  the  river  towards  Sorely  we  went 
into  an  house  where  was  an  English  woman 
of  our  town,  who  had  been  left  among  the 
French  in  order  to  her  conveyance  to  the  In- 
dian fort.  The  French  were  very  kind  to 
her  and  to  myself,  and  gave  us  the  best  pro- 
vision they  had  ;  and  she  embarked  with  us 
to  go  down  to  S/.  Francds  fort.  When  we 
came  down  to  the  firs^  inhabited  house  at 
Sorely  a  French  woman  came  to  the  river 
side^  and  desired  us  to  g©  into  her  house,  and 
when  we  were  entered,  she  compassionated 
our  state,  and  told^us,  she  had  in  the  last 
war  been  a  cap6ve  among  the  Indians,  and 
therefore  was  not  a  little  sensible  of  our  dif* 
iicuUies.  She  gave  the  Indians  something  to 
eat  in  the  chimney  corner,  and  spread  a  cteth; 
on  the  table  for  us  with  napkins  j  iBI^ich 
gave  such  offence  to  the  Indians,  that  they 
hasted  away,  and  would  not  call  iaatth^ 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS,   i-7  $1 

fort :  But  wherever  wc  entered  into  houses, 
the  French  were  very  courteous.  When  we 
came  to  S/.  Francois  river,  we  found  some 
difficulty  by  reason  of  the  ice  ;  and  entering 
into  a  Frenchman's  house,  he  gave  us  a  loaf 
of  bread,  and  some  fish  to  carry  away  with 
us  ;  but  we  passed  down  the  river  till  night, 
and  there  seven  of  us  supped  on  the  fish  call- 
ed Bull  head,  or  Pout,  and  did  not  eat  it  up^ 
the  fish  was  so  very  large. 

The  next  morning  we   met  with  such  a 
quantity  of  ice,  th^t  we  were  forced  to  leave 
our  canoe  and  travel  on  land*     We  went  to 
a  French  officer's  house,  who  took  us  into  a 
private  room,  out  of  the  sight  of  the  Indians, 
and  treated  us  very  courteously.    That  night 
we  arrived  at  the  fort   called  St.  Francois^: 
where  we  found  several  poor  children  who 
had  been  taken  from  the  Eastward  the  sum« 
mer  before  ;  a  sight  very  aflfecting,  they  be- 
ing in  habit  very  much  like  Indians,  ^nd  in 
manners  very  much  symbolizing  with  them. 
At  this  fort  lived  two  Jesuits^  one  of  which  was^ 
made  Superior  of  the  Jesuits  at  Qmbe'^.     One 
of  these  Jesuits  met  me  at  the  fort  gate^  and 
asked  me  to  go  into  the  *ehurch,  and  give^ 
God  thanks  for  preserving  my  Itfe*    i  told 
him  I  would  do  that  in  »c»&erO|her   places. 
When  the  bell  rang  for  ev6Btt^-^yei^,  he 
that  took  me  bid  me  go,  biit  ti^lpM'  -T^ 
j^uh  came  to  our  Wig^itiai^^^'^^^A  a 
#ort  prayer,  and  invited  mo  ld^*«^l3i^lfcr 


M 


I 

1 


n       CAPTlVITt  AND  DELIVERANCE 

them ;  and  justified  the  Indians  in  what  they 
did  against  us ;  rehearsing  some  things  done 
by  Major  Walden,  above    thirty  years  ago  ; 
and  how  justly  God  retaliated  them  in    the 
last  war,  and  inveighed  against  us  for  begin- 
ning this  war  with  the  Indiana  y  and  said,  we 
had  before  the  last  winter,  and  in  the  winter, 
been  very  barbarous  and  cruel  in  burning  and 
killing  the   Indians.     I  told  them,  that  the 
Indians  in   a  very   perfidious  manner,  had 
commited  murders  on  many  of  our  inhabit- 
ants, after  the  signing  articles  of  peace.    And 
as  to  what  they  spake  of  cruelties,  they  were 
undoubtedly  falsboods  ;  for  I  well  knew  the 
English  were  not  approvers  of  any  inhuman-- 
ity  or  barbarity  towards  enemies*    They. 
said,  an  English  man  had  killed  one  of  St.. 
Ca^.^^^'x  relatione,  which  occasioned  this  war*. 
For,  say  tliey,  the  nations  in  a  general  coun^> 
cil,  had  concluded  not  to  engage  in  the  war 
on  any  side,  till  they  themselves  w^re  first* 
molested,  and  |hen  all  of  them  as  one,  would- 
engage  against  them  that  began  a  war  with, 
them  ;  and  that  upon  the  killing  of  C^/^^;2V 
kinsman   a  post  was  dispatched  to  Canada  to. 
advertise  the  Macquas^  and  Indians,'that  the 
Englisli  had  begun  a  war.     On  which  they^ 
gathered  up  their  forces,^  and  that  thcFrenchf 
joined  with   them,    to  come   down  on  the 
Eastern    parts;. and  that  when  they   caxae; 
nc^r^New  England^  seycrtA  of  the  Eastern  In** 
iimt  told  them  of  the  peace  made  with-the: 


.        Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS.   ^  a^v:        35^ 

English,  and  the  satisfaction  given  them  from 
the  English  for  that  murder.  But  the  Ma- 
quas  told  them»  it  was  now  too  late  ;  for 
they  were  sent  for,  and  were  now  come,  and 
would  fall  on  them,  if  without  their  consent 
they  made  a  peace  with  Ihc  English.  /~^ 
also  that  a  letter  was  shown  to  them,.,*  ^t 
from  the  Governor  of  Port  Royal y  which  a  1^ 
said,  was  taken  in  an  English  ship,  being  ^ 
letter  from  the  Queen  of  England  to  our  Gov- 
ernor, writing  how  she  approved  his  designs 
to  ensnare  and  deceitfully  to  seize  on  the  In« 
dians  ;  so  that  being  enraged  from  that  let- 
ter, and  being  forced  as  it  WQii6,  they  began.> 
the  present  war.  I  told  them  the  letter. was^ 
a  lye,  forged  by  the  French* 

The  next  morning  the  bell  rang  for  mass. 
My  master  bid  me  go  to  church  5  I  refused  : 
He  threatened  me,  and  went  away  in  a  rage* 
At  noon  the   Jesuits   sent   for  me,  to  dine 
with  them  ;  for  1  eat  at  their  table  all  the 
time  I  was  at  the  fort.     And  after  dinner,- 
they  told  me,  the  Indians  would  not  altow 
ofany  of  their  captives  staying  in  their  w?g«^ 
wams    whilst   they  were  at  churcktj^  anif 
were  resolvM  by  force  and  violenc^m^tifiiftg? 
us  all  to  church,  if  we  would  notjgbMihd^Kji*^ 
It^them  it  was  higMy  iaitktem!^i&s0^^> 
iii^»Oseupon  those  who  v/crQ''^(^9^-<;^^%]^dff'f'^ 
^^Mitm  J  and  to  force  ms  to  be  ptifesKtJ^ai 
^uidn  a  service,  as  we  abhorred,  A^asr  n^^y^g 
b^comi^jig  Christkaity.    They  ^^lU^'itl^^ 


■  I 


34        CAPTIVITY  ANp  DELIVERANCE 


were  savages,  and  would  not  hearken  to  rea- 
son, but  would  have  their  wills.     Said  also, 
if  they  were  in  iVi?w/ J?;!^/^^^  themselves,  they 
would  go  into  their  churches   to  see  their 
ways  of  worship.    I  answered,  the  case  was 
fan  •different,  for  there  was  nothing  (them- 
scfbet  being  judges)  as  to  matter  or  manner 
u  e^  worship,   but  what  was  according  to  the 
^  word  of  God,  in  our  churches  ;  and  there- 
fore it  could  not  be  an  offence  to  any  man's 
conscience.     But  among  them   there   were 
idolatrous  superstitions  in  worship.     They 
said,   come  and  see,  and  offer  us  conviction, 
of  what  is   superstitions  in  worship.     To 
which  I  answered,  that  I  was  not  to  do  evil 
that  good  might  come  on  it ;  and  that  forc- 
ing in  matters  of  religion  was  hateful.     They 
answered,  the  indians  were  resolved  to  have 
it  so,  and  they  could  not  pacify  them  with- 
out my  commg  ;  and  they  would   engage 
they    should  offer  no  force  or   violence    to 
cause  any  compliance  with  their  ceremonies. 
The    next  mass,    my  master  bid    me  go  to 
church  ;  I  objected  ;  he  arose  and  forcibly 
pulled  me  out  by  head  and  shoulders  out  of 
the  wigwam  to  the  church,  thai  «#a8  nigh  the 
door.     So  I  went  in  and  sat  dpwn  behind  the 
door,  and  there  saw  a  great  confusion  instead^ 
of  any  gospel  order.     For  one  of  the  Jes^$ 
was  at  tl^  altar,  saying  mass  in  a  tongu^lly 
known  to    the  savages  ;  and   the  otJ^|i|i 
tweeu  the   altar  apd  the  door,   sayki^  «^^ 


sing 
sam< 
sam 
and 
orb 
smil 


'■^^ 


■R 


Of  JOHN  Williams; 


»^^P 


SB 


Mnging  prayers  among  the  Indians  at  the 
same  time  ;  and  many  others  were  at  the 
same  time  saying  over  their  Pater  Nosters 
and  Ave  Mary^  by  tale  from  their  chaplet, 
or  beads  on  string.  At  our  going  out,  we 
smiled  at  their  devotion  so  managed  ;  which 
was  offensive  to  them  ;  for  they  said,  we 
made  a  derision  of  their  worship.  When  I 
was  here,  a  certain  savagess  died  ;  one  of  the 
Jesuits  told  me,  she  was  a  very  holy  woman, 
who  had  not  committed  one  sin  in  twelve 
years.  After  a  day  or  two  the  Jesuits  asked 
me,  what  I  thought  of  their  way  now  I  saw 
it  i  I  told  them,  1  thought  Christ  said  of  it, 
Mark  7.  7,  8,  9.  Howbeit  in  vain  do  they 
worship  me^  teaching  for  doftrines  the  command' 
ments  of  men.  For  laying  aside  the  command/nent 
of  Gody  ye  hold  the  tradition  ofmen^  as  the  wash" 
ing  of  pots  y  and  cups  ;  and  many  other  such  like 
things  ye  do.  And  he  said  unto  them^full  well 
ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may 
keep  your  own  tradition.  They  told  me,  they 
were  not  the  commandments  of  men,  but  a- 
postolical  traditions,  of  equal  authority  with 
the  holy  scriptures.  And  that  after  my 
death,  I  would  bewail  my  not  prayinjg  to  the 
Virgin  M^ry;  and  that  1  should  fimd  the 
want  of  her  intercession  for  me,  ^^K^ith  her 
Son  ;  judging  me  to  hell,  fpr  >Merting  the- 
ijcrlptures  to  be  a  perfect. inafe^^i^j  and 
1^  I  abounded  in  my  owii  seg^  entert^fi« 
|hg  explications  contrary  to  the^Soiisis  flf^ It^^ 


^ 


i 

"    ,M   It 

'  i  ■ 

1 1  J 

4IA        CAPTIVITY  AHD  DELIVERANCE    , 

Pope,  regularly  siting  with  a  general  council 
explaining  scripture,  and  making  articles  of 
faith.  1  told  them,  it  was  my  comfort  that 
tChrist  was  to  be  my  judge,  and  not  they  at 
the  great  day .:  And  as  for  their  censuring 
and  judging  me,  I  was  not  moved  with  it.  . 
One  day  a  certain  savagess  taken  prisoner 
in  Philip^s  war,  who  had  lived  at  Mr*  Bulk- 
ley's  at  Wether sjield^  called  Ruth^  who  could 
^speak  Knglish  very  well  ;  who  had  been  of- 
ten at  my  house,  but  was  now  proselyted  to 
the  Romish  faith,  came  into  the  wigwam, 
and  with  her  an  English  maid,  who  was  tak- 
en the  last  war,  who  was  dressed  up  in  In- 
vdian  apparel,  could  not  speak  one  word  of 
•English,  who,  said  she  could  neither  tell  her 
X)wn  name,  or  the  name  of  the  place  from 
whence  she  was  taken.  These  two  talked  in 
the  Indian  dialect  with  my  master  a  long 
time  ;  after  which  my  master  bad  me  crosS" 
myself  5  I  told  him,  i  would  not ;  he  com- 
manded me  several  times,  and  I  as  often  re- 
fused. Rufh  said  Mr.  Williams^  you  know  the 
scripture,  and  therefore  act  against  your  own 
light  ;  for  you  know  the  scripture  s'^th,S^r- 
njants  obey  your  must  en  ;  he  is  your  master 
and  you  Ms  servant.  1  told  her  she  was  ig- 
norant, and  knew  not  the  meaning  of  the 
scripture  ;  telling  her,  I  was  not  to  diiobqr 
^hc  gripat  God,  to  obey  any  master,  and  that 
I  was  ready  to  die  to  suffer  for  God,  if  called 
>thereto»    On  which  she  talked  with  ^ 


Or  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


master,  I  suppose  she  interpreted  what  I  said. 
My    master  took  hold  of  my  hand    to  force 
me  to  cross  myself,  but  I  struggled  with  him, 
and  would  not  suffer  him  to  guide  my  hand  ; 
upon  this    he  pulled  offa  crucifix  from  his 
own  neck,  and  bade  me  kiss  it ;  but  I  refus- 
ed once  and    again  ;  he  told   me,  he  would 
dash  out  my  brains  with  his  hatchet,  if  1  re- 
fused.    I  told  him,  1  should  sooner   chuse 
death  than  to  sin  against  God  ;  then  he  ran 
and  catched  up  his  hatchet,  and  acted  as  though 
he  would  have  dashed  out  my  brains.     See- 
ing  I    was  not  moved,  he    threw  down  his 
hatchet,  saying,  he  would  first  bite  off  all  niy 
nails,  if  I  still  refused.     I  gave  hica  my  hand 
and  told  him  I   was  ready  to  suffer  ;  he  set 
liis    teeth    in  my  thumb  nail,   and  gave   a 
gripe  with  his  teeth,  and  then  said  no  gdod 
minister,  no  love  God  as  bad  as  the  devil  ;-— 
and  so  left  off.     1  have  leason  to  bless  God, 
who  strengthened  me  to  withstand  ;  by  this 
he  was  so   discouraged,    as   never  more  to 
meddle  with  me  about  my  religion.    -1  asked 
leave  of  the  Jesuits  to  pray  with  those    En- 
glish of  our  town  that  were  with  me,  but 
they   absolutely  refused  to  give   us  any  per- 
mission to  pray  one  with  another,  and  did 
what  they  could  to  prevent  our  having  any 
discourse  together.  V 

After  a  few  days  the  Governor wt/^  Vat^^^ 
governor  in  Chief,  sent  down  two  me4  with 
^tters  to  the  Jesuits,  desiring  them  ta  0r4ej; 

D 


: 
1 


sd 


CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVEl^ANCE 


my  being  sent  up  to  him  to  Mont  Royal,  upon 
which  one  of  the  Jesuits  went  with  my  two 
masters  and  took  me  along  with  them,  as 
also  two  more  of  D^erfield,  a  man  and  his 
daughter  about  seven  years  of  age.  When 
we  came  "o  the  Lake,  the  wind  was  tempes- 
tuous and  contrary  to  us,  so  that  they  were 
afraid  to  go  over  j  they  landed  and  kindled  a 
fire,  and  said  they  would  wait  awhile  to  see 
whether  the  wind  would  fall  or  change,  I 
went  aside  from  the  ccmpany  among  the 
trees,  and  spread  our  case,  with  the  tempta- 
tions of  it  before  God,  and  pleaded  that  he 
would  order  the  season  so,  that  we  might  not 
go  back  again,  but  be  furthered  on  our  voy- 
age, that  I  might  have  opportunity  to  se^ 
my  children  and  neighbors,  and  converse 
with  them,  and  know  their  state.  When  I 
returned  the  w^ind  was  more  boisterous,  and 
then  a  second  time,  and  the  wind  was  more 
fierce  ;  I  reflected  upon  myself  for  my  un- 
quietrifess,  and  the  want  of  a  resigned  will  to 
the  will  of  God.  /ind  a  third  time  weiit 
and  bewailed  before  God  my  anxious  cares, 
and  the  tumultuous  working  of  my  own 
heart,  and  begged  a  will  fully  resigned  to  the 
will  of  God  and  thought  that  by  the  grace 
ctf  God  I  was  brought  to  say  Amen,  to  what- 
ever God  should  determine.  Upon  my  re- 
turn to  the  company,  the  wind  was  yet 
Hgh  ;  the  Jesuit  ar^!  my  master  said,  come 
we  will  go  back  again  to  the  fort,  for  there 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS.      ^        ^9 

is  no  likelihood  of  proceeding  on  our  voyage, 
for  very  frequently  such  a  wind  continues 
three  days,  sometimes  six,  after  it  had  contin- 
ed  so  many  hours,  I  said  to  them,  the  will 
of  the  Lord  be  done  j  and  the  canoe  was  put 
again  into  the  river,  and  we  embarked.  No 
sooner  had  my  master  put  me  into  the  canoe, 
and  put  off  from  the  shore,  but  the  wind 
fell,  and  coming  into  the  middle  oi  the  river, 
they  ?aid,  we  may  go  over  the  lake  well  e- 
nough,  and  so  wc  did.  I  promised,  if  God 
gave  me  opportunity,  I  would  stir  up  others 
to  glorify  God  in  a  continued  persevering, 
committing  their  straits  of  heart  to  him  :  Ife 
is  a  prayer  bearing  God^  and  the  stormy  zBkufs 
obey  him*  After  we  passed  over  the  Lal^e, 
the  French  wherever  we  cams,  were  very 
compassionate  to  us. 


'■■v'^.'^fl^*.V'' 


At  Mont  Royal, 


When  i  came  to  Mont  Royal.,  which  was 
eight  weeks*  after  my  captivity,  the  Gov- 
ernor de  Vaudrel  redeemed  ine  out  of  the 
hands  of  thelndians,gave  mc  th^  use  of  a  very 
good  chamber,  and  was  in  all  respects  relat- 
ing to  my  outward  nian,  courteous  ^nd  char- 
itable to  admiration.  At  my  first  entering 
into  his  house,  he  sept  for  my  two  children, 
who  were  in  the  city,  tlisit  I  might  see  them  5. 

•  8  'iVeeksfrom  February  59,  is  Tuesday,  ApiilSS. 


■I'  < 


I, 


^ 


40        CAPTIVITY  AND  BEUVERANCE 

and  pfomised  to  do  what  he  could  to  get  all 
my  children,  and  neighbors  out  o?  the 
hands  of  the  savages.  My  change  of  diet, 
after  the  difficulties  of  my  journics,  caused 
an  alteration  in  my  body  :  I  was  physiced, 
blooded,  and  very  tenderly  taken  care  of  in 
my  sickness.  The  Governor  redeemed  my 
eldest  daughter  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Indians; 
and  she  was  carefully  tended  in  the  hospital, 
until  she  was  well  of  her  lameness  ;  and  by 
the  Governor  provided  for  with  respect,  dur- 
ing her  stay  in  the  country.  IVIy  youngest 
childwas  redeemed  by  a  gentlewomi:n  in  the 
city,  as  the  Indians  passed  by.  After  the  ) 
dians  had  been  at  their  fort,  and  discoursed 
Mvith  the  priests,  they  came  back  and  offered 
v'tothe  gentlewoman  a  manforthechild,a]ledg- 
ing  that  the  child  could  not  be  profitable  to 
lier,  but  the  man  would,  for  he  was  a  weaver, 
and  his  service  would  much  advance  the  de- 
sign she  had  of  making  cloth.  But  God 
overuled  so  far,  that  this  temptation  to  the 
woman  prevailed  not  for  an  exchange  ;  for 
had  the  child  gone  to  the  Indian  fort,  in  an 
ordinary  way  it  had  abode  there  still,  as  the 
rest  of  the  children  carried  there  do.  The 
Governor  gave  orders  to  certain  officers  to 
get  the  rest  of  my  children  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  Indians,  and  as  many  of  my  neigh- 
bors  as  they  could.  After  six  weeks,  a 
mercLant  of  the  city  obtained  my  eldest  son 
'that  was  taken  to  live  with  him  :  He  took  a 


m 

to 

citl 

Co\ 

be 

int 

isel 

th( 

s^M 


K<W««iMh<lMlW»' 


.. ,, ,    ,  0*  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


h 


41 


great  deal  of  pains  to  persuade  the  savages 
,  to  part  with  him.  An  Indian  came  to  the 
city  (Sagamore  George  of  Pennacook)  from 
Cowas^^wd  brought  word  of  my  son  Stephen's 
being  near  Cowas,  and  some  money  was  put 
intohis  hand  for  his  redemption,  and  a  prom- 
ise  of  full  satisfaction  if  he  brought  him  ;  but 
the  Indian  proved  unfaithful,  and  I  never 
Si.w  my  child  till  a  year  after.  ?* 

The  Governor  ordered  a  priest  to  go  along 
with  me  to  see  my  youngest  daughter  a- 
niong  the  Macquas  and  endeavor  her  ransom, 
I  went  with  him  ;  he  was  very  courteous  to 
me,  and  from  his  parish  which  was  near  the 
Macqua  fort,  he  ^rote  a  letter  to  the  Jesuit, 
to  desire  hin^  to  send  my  child  to  see  me,  and 
to  speak  with  them  that  took  her,  to  come 
along  with  it.  But  the  Jesuit  wrote  back  a 
letter,  that  I  should  not  be  permitted  to 
speak  with,  or  see  my  child,  if  I  came  my 
labor  would  be  lost  ;  and  that  the  Macquas 
would  as  soon  part  with  their  heart,  as  my 
v'i'ld.  At  my  return  to  the  city,  I  with  an 
IS  vy  heart  carried  the  Jesuit's  letter  to  the* 
Ojvernor,  who,  when  he  read  it,  was  vety 
angry,  and  endeavored'  to  comfort  me  assur- 
ing me,  I  should  see  it,  and  speak  with  it  j 
and  he  would  to  his  utmost  endeavor  its  raa- 
som.  Accordingly  he  sent  to  the  Jesuits^ 
who  were  in  the  city,  and  bid  theitp^pplprQve; 
their  interest  for  the  obtaining  W&  *  *' ' 
\|ter  fiome  d^s,  he  went  with:  me  ii 


'M 


JX   % 


''% 


I 


4a       GAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

own  person  to  the  fort.  When  we  came 
thither,  he  discoursed  with  the  Jesuits  ;  after- 
which  my  child  wa^  brought  into  the  chani« 
ber  where  I  was.  I  was  told  I  might  speak 
with  her,  but  should  not  be  perniitted  to 
cpeak  to  no  other  English  person  there.  My 
<hild  w^s  about  seven,  years  old  :  I  dis^cours* 
«cd  with  her  near  an  hptir  ;  she  could  reaji 
"very  \yeil,^nd  had, not  forgot  her  c^itechi^m; 
and  was  very  desirous  to  be  redeemed  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  Macquas,  and  bemoaned 
her  state  :  >ig  theni,  telling  me  how  they 
profaned  Gvi*s.  SaWjath  ;  and  said,  she 
thought  tha^t  a  few  days  before  they  had  been 
mocking  the  devil,  and  that  one.  of  the  J'es^ 
tiits  stood  and  Ippked  on  them.  1  told  her 
«he  must  pray  to  God  for  his  grace  every 
day  ;  she  said,  she  did  as  she;  was  able,  and 
'Ood  helped  her.  But  says  she,  they  force 
me  to  say  some  prayers  in  l^atift,  but  I  do , 
mot  understand  one  word  of  them,  I  hope  it 
will  not  dp  me  any  harm.  I  told  hqr  she 
must  be  careful  she  did  not  forget  hier  cate- 
-qhism,  and  the  scripture,  she  had  learnt  by. 
l^artk  She  told.the  captives  after  I  was  gone, 
as  some  of  then)  hav^sinceiufprm^dme,  al- 
most every  thing  i  spake  t<>  her;  and  said, 
she  was  much  afraid  she  should  forget  her 
catechisni,  haying  none  tQ  iiistru<;t  her  it  I 
saw  heronce  afew.days  after  in  the  dty^but 
hact  not  many  minutes  of  time  with  her,  but 

^hat  tinve^  I  hi4.I  improve  to  give  her  tbi! . 


r' 


..:j    .'-  >- 


Or  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


H 


best  advice  I  could.  The  Governor  labored 
much  for  her  redemption,  at  last  he  had  the 
promise  of  it,  in  case  he  would  procure  for 
them  an  Indian  girl  in  her  stead.  According- 
ly he  sent  up  the  river  some  hundred  of 
leagues  for  one,  but  it  was  refused,  when  of- 
fered by  the  Governor :  He  offered  them  an 
hundred  pieces  of  eight  for  her  redemption,, 
but  it  was  refused.  His  lady  went  over  to 
have  begged  her  from  them,  but  all  in  vain*; 
it  is  there  still,  and  has  forgotten  to  speak  En* 
glish.  Oh  !  that  all  who  peruse  this  history, 
would  join  in  their  ferven  t  requests  to  God, 
with  whom  all  things  are  possible,  that  this 
poor  child,  and  so  many  others  of  our  chil- 
dren who  have  been  cast  upon  God  from  the 
womb,  and  are  now  outcasts  ready  to  perish, 
might  be  gathered  from  their  dispersion,  and 
receive  sanctifying  grace  from  Godi 

When  I  had  discoursed  with  the  child,  aitd' 
was  coming  out  of  the  fort,  one  of  the  Jesuits 
wentout  of  the  chamber  with  me,  and  some 
soldiers,  to  convey  me  to  the  conoe.     I  saw 
some  of  my  poor  neighbors,  who  stood  wirh 
longing  expectations  to  see  me,  and  speak: 
"%ith.  m«,  and' had  leave  from  theirf  Ravage 
masters,  so  to  do*    I  was  by.  the  JesiUit-llim- 
self  thrust  along  by  force^  and'|>ermitt^d-'l)h- 
ly  to  tellthem  some  of  their  relations^ll^^y 
siked  after)  were  weH  in-tlbe  cityv  f^^  t|(a^ 
ntirith  a  very  audible  voice  j  betiig  i»IH^^^ 
^^to  come jaew  to  tteait.    ^  '  ^^^i  v^v^^' 


1^1 


^f-i 


#  1.: 


1:1 ' 


■iH       CAPTIVITY  ANU  DELIVERANCE        , 

After  my  return  to  the  city,  I  was  very 
melancholy,  for  I  could  not  be  permitted  so 
much  as  to  pray  with  the  English,  who  dwelt 
in  the  same  house.     And  the  English  who 
came  to  see  me,  were  most   of  them  put 
back  by  the  guard  at  the  door,  and  not  suf- 
fered to  come  and  speak  with  me.     Some- 
times the  guard  was  so  strict  that  I  could 
scarce  go  aside  on  necessary  occasions  with- 
out a  repulse  ;  and  whenever  I  went  out  into 
the  city  (a  favor  the  Governor  himself  never 
refused  when  I  asked  it  of  him)  there  were 
spies  to  watch  me  and  to  observe  whether  I 
spake  to  the  English.     Upon  which  I  told 
some  of  the  English,  they  must  be  careful  to 
call  to  mind  and  improve  former  instructions, 
and  endeavor  to  stand  at  a  further  distance 
.  for  a  while,  hoping  that  after  a  short  time  I 
should  have  more  liberty  of  conversing  with 
them.    But  some  spies  sent  out,  found  on  a 
Sabbath  day  more  than  three  (the  number  we 
by  their  order  published  were  not  to  exceed 
together)  of  us  in  company,  who  informed 
the  priest  ;  the  next  day  one  of  the  priests 
told  me,  1  had  a  greater  number  of  the  En- 
glish with  me,  and  that  I  had   spoken  some- 
thing reflecting  on  their  religion.    I  spake 
to    the  Governor  that   no  forcible  means 
Blight  be  used  with  any  of  the  captives  res- 
pecting their  religion ;  he  told  me,  he  allowed 
l|9_ such  thing,     lam   persuadied  that  the 
wvernor^  if  he  Height  act  as^  himself, 


s  r 


■-^Hfr'/ 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


45 


not  have  suffered  such  things  to  be  doiieas 
have  been  done,  and  that  he  never  did  know 
of  several  things  acted  against  the  English. 

At  my  iSrst  coming  to  Mont  Royal,  the 
Governor  told  me,  I  should  be  sent  home  as 
soon  as  Captain  Batiiss  was  returned,  and  not 
before ;  and  that  I  was  taken  in  order  to  his 
redemption.  The  Governor  sought  by  all 
means  to  divert  me  from  my  malancholly 
sorrows,  and  always  shewed  a  willingness  for 
seeing  my  children.  And  one  day  I  told  him 
of  my  design  of  walking  into  the  city  ;  He 
pleasantly  answered^  go  with  all  my  heart. 
His  eldest  son  went  with  me  as  far  as  the  door, 
and  saw  the  guard  stop  me,  he  went  in  and 
informed  his  father  who  came  to  the  door 
and  a»ked,  why  they  affronted  the  gentleman 
going  out  ?  They  said,  it  was  their  order  : 
But  with  an  angry  countenance  he  said,  his 
orders  were  that  I  should  not  be  stoped.  But 
within  a  little  time  I  had  my  orders  to  go 
down  to  Quebec,  Another  thing  showing 
that  many  things  are  done  without  the  Gov- 
ernor's consent,  though  his  name  be  used  to 
justify  them,  viz.  I  asked  the  Priest,  after  I 
had  been  ^t  Mont  Royal  two  days,  bavc  to 
go  and  see  my  youngest  child  j  he  said  when- 
ever you  will  see  it  tell  me,  and  I  wiH  bring 
it  to  you  ;  for  says  he,  the  Governor  is^  not 
willing  you  should  go  thither.  And  y^ 
^iBot  many  days  after,  when  we  were  at  dij^^ 
iter,  Gie  Governor's  lady  (seeing  mc  saM) 


f  h 


PT 


46        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

speak  to  an  ofGcer  at  table,  who  could  speak 
Latin,  to  tell  me,  that  after  dinner  I  should 
go  along  with  them  and  see  my  two  children . 

.  And  accordingly  after  dinner  I  was  carried 
to  see  them  ;  and  when  I  came  to  the  house, 
I  found  three  or  four  English  captives  who 
lived  there,  and  I  had  leave  to  discourse 
with  them.  And  n©t  long  after,  the  Cover*, 
nor's  lady  asked  me  to  go  along  with  her  to 
the  hospital  to  see  one  of  my  neighbors  sick 
there. 

One  day  one  of  Jesuits  came  to  the  Gover- 
nor's, and  told  the  company  there,  that  he 
never  saw  such  persons  as  were  taken  from 
Deerfield.  Said  he,  the  Macquas  will  not  suf- 
fer any  of  their  prisoners  to  abide  in  their 
wigwams  whilst  they  themselves  dre  at  m:*s6, 

.  but  carry  them  with  them  to  the  church,  and 
they  cannot  be  prevafled  with  to  fall  down  qn 
their  knees  to  pray  there,  but  no  sooner  are 
they  returned  to  their  wigwams,  but  they 
fall  down  on  their  knees  to  prayer.  He  said, 
they  could  do  nothing  with  the  grown  per- 
sons there ;  and  they  hindered  the  children^'s 
complying. — Whereupon  th^  Jesuits  coun* 
selled  the   Macquas  to    sell    all  the    grown 

.  persons  from  the  fort ;  a  stratagem  to  seduce 
poor  children.  Oh  Lord  turn  the  cmnsel  gf 
these  Ahitophels  into  foolishness^  and  make  tke 
counsels  of  the  heathen  ofno^e  effect  I 

Here  I  observed,  they  were  wonderfully 
lifted  up  with  pride,  after  th^.  return  ^  Q-a^^ 


tain  A^ 

of  8UCC 

against 
an  arn 
if  1  mil 
Frcncl 
scvera 
desola 
The 
Gener 
mand< 
ed  no 
This  J 
umph 
wouk 
Our  1 
ing  ol 
of  th( 
selves 

said 

tendi 

third 

lishn 

ed  w 

we  I 

New 

I  sal 

ges 

e^, 

S^c 

iftt 


mw 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


A7 


tain  Moniinug  from  Northampton  with  news 
of  success  :  they  boasted  of  their  success  a- 
against  New  England.    And  they   sent  out 
an  army  as  they  said  of  seven  hundred  men, 
if  I  mistake  not,  too  hundred  of  which  were 
French,  in   company   of  which  army  went 
scveralii^iresuits  ;  and  said,  they    would  lay 
desolate  all  the  places  on    Connecticut  river. 
The    superior  of  the  priests  told  me,    their 
General  was  a  very  prudent  and  brave  com- 
mander, of  undaunted  courage,  and  he  doubt- 
ed not  but  they   should  have  great  success. 
This  army  went  away  in  ^uch  a  boasting  tri- 
umphing manner,  that  I  had  great  hopes  God 
would  discover  and  disappoint  their  designs : 
Our  prayers  were  not  wanting  for  the  blast- 
ing of  such  a  bloody  design.    The  superior 
of  the  priests  said  to  me,  do  ;^ot  flatter  your- 
selves  in  hopes  of    a  short  captivity  5  for, 
said   he,  there  are  two  young  princes  con- 
tending for  the  kingdom   of  Spain  ;  and  a 
third,  that  care  was  to  be  taken  of  his  estab^ 
lishment  on  the  English  throne.   And  boast- 
ed what  they  would  do  in  Europe ;  and  that 
we  must  expect  hot  only  in  Europe^  but  in, 
New    England^  the  establishment  of  Popery. 
I  said,  Glory  not,  God  can  make  great  chan-, 
ges  in  a  little  time,  and  revive  his  own  inter- 
esrt,    and  yet   save  his   poor  afflicted  people. 
Said    he,  the  time  for  mirstcles  is  past  V  and 
ih  the  time  of  the  last  war,  the  King  of^rance 
i»^  as  it  were  against  all  the  wc^ld,  antf  yet 


> 

;■; 


I 


;ll= 


41        CAPTIVITY  AHD  DELIVERANCE 

did  great  things  ;  but  now  the  kingdom  of 
Spain  is  for  him,  and  the  Duke  of  Bavaria^ 
and  the  Duke  of  Savoy ^  &c.  and  spake  in  a 
lofty  manner  of  great  things  to  be  done  by 
them  ;  and  having  the  world,  as  I  may  say, 
in  subjection  to  them. 

I  was  sent  down  to  Quebec  in  company  of 
Govtrworde Ramsey ^GovtrnoT  of  Mont  Royal^ 
and  the  superior  of  the  Jesuits,  and  ordered  to 
live  with  one  of  the  Council  ;  from  whom  I 
received  many  favors,  for  seven  weeks.  He 
told  me,  it  was  the  Priests  doings  to  send  mc 
down  before  the  Governor  came  down  ;  and 
that  if  I  went  much  to  see  the  English,  or 
they  came  much  to  visit  me,  I  should  yet 
certainly  be  sent  away  where  1  should  have 
no  converse  with  the  English. 


:-^«V 


At     Q  u  e  b  e  c- 

After  coming  down  to  Quebec^  I  was  in- 
vited to  dine  with  the  Jesuits,  and  to  my  face 
they  were  civil  enough.  But  after  a  few 
days,  a  ypung  Gentleman  came  to  my  cham- 
ber, and  told  me,  that  one  of  the  Jesuits  (af- 
ter we  had  done  dinner)  made  a  few  distiches 
of  verses,  and  gave  them  to  his  scholars  to 
translate  into  French  :  He  shewed  them  to 
me.  The  import  of  them  was,  "  That  the 
King  of  France  his  grandson  had  sent  out 
his  huntsmen,  and  that  they  had  taken  a 
Wolf,  who  was  shut  up,  and  now  he  hqga| 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS.       ''"^        i^ 


tlic  feheep  would  be  in  safety."    I  know  at 
the  reading  of  them  what  they  aimed  at,  but 
held  my  peace,  as  though  I  had  been  igno« 
rant    of  the    Jesuits   intention.     Observing 
this  reproaching  spirit,  I  said  in  my  heart,  it 
God  will  bless,  let  men  curse  if  they  please  ; 
and  I  looked  to  God  in  Christ,  the  great  shep- 
herd, to   keep  his  scattered  sheep  among  so 
many  Romish  ravenous   wolves,  and  to  re- 
member the  reproaches  wherewith  his  holy 
name,  ordinances  and  servants  were  daily  re- 
proached.    And  upon  an  observation  of  the 
time  of  these  verses  being  composed,  I  find 
that  near  the  same  time,  the  Bishop  of  Cj»- 
ada  with  twenty  EcclesiastiAs,  .were  taken 
by  the  English  as  they   were  coming  from 
France^  and  carried  into  England  as  prisoners 
of  war. 

One   Sabbath  morning  1  observed    many 
signs  of  approaching  rain,  a  great  mt)isture 
on    the  stones    of  the  hearth  and  chimney 
jams.     I  was  that  day  invited  to  dine  with 
the  Jesuits  ;  and  when  I  went  up  to  dinner, 
it  began  to  rain  a  small  drisling  rain  :  The 
superior  told  me,  they  had  been  praying  fot 
Tain  that  morning,  and  now  (says  he)  it  be- 
gins to  rain.     I  told  him,  I  could  tell  hitn  o£ 
Itiany  instances  of  God's  hearing  our  prayers 
for  rain.    However  in  the  afternoon  there 
was  a  general  procession  of  all  orders.  Priests^ 
Jesuits  and  Fryars,  and  the  Citizens  in  gre^f 
|)omp,  carrying  (as  th^y  said)  as  an  holy  re- 

E  -•  ■ 


.:■  m 


10       CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

Uquc,  one  of  the  bones  of  St.  Paul.  The  next 
jday  I  was  invited  to  the  Priest's  seminary  to 
dinner  ;  Oh,  said  they,  we  went  in  proces* 
3ion  yesterday  for  rain,  and  see  what  a  plenti- 
ful rain  followed.  I  answered,  we  had  been 
answered  when  praying  for  rain,  when  no 
such  signs  of  rain,  and  the  beginnings  of 
rain,  had  preceeded,  as  now  with  them,  be- 
fore they  appointed  or  began  their  proces- 
sion. See.  However  they  upbraided  me,  that 
God  did  not  approve  of  our  religion,  in  that 
he  disregarded  our  prayers,  and  accepted 
theirs.  For,  said  they»  we  heard  you  had 
days  of  fasting  7ind  prayer  before  the  fleet 
came  to  Quebfc  ;  God  would  not  regard 
your  prayers,  but  heard  ours,  and  air  ost  in 
^  miraculous  way  preserved  us  when  ult- 
cd,  and  refused  to  hear  your  fastday  prayers 
for  your  preservation, but  heard  ours  for  your 
desolation,  and  our  success.  They  boasted 
also  of  their  King,  and  his  greatness,  and 
spake  of  him  as  though  there  could  be  no 
settlement  in  the  world,  but  as  he  pleased ; 
reviling  us  as  in  a  low  and  languishing  case, 
having  no  king,  but  being  under  the  govern- 
ment of  a  Queen.  And  spake  as  though 
the  Duke  of  Bavaria  would  in  a  short  time 
\)c  Emperor.  From  this  day  forward  God 
gave  them  to  hear  sorrowful  tidings  from 
Europe  :  That  a  war  was  commenced  a- 
eainst  the  duke  of  Savoy,  and  so  their  ene- 
mies incrcased-*their  Bishop  taken,  and  two 


0#  JOHN'  WILLIAMS. 


'» 


6i 


r  • 


fliillions  of  wealth  witn  him.  NcWs  c\rcry 
year  more  distrcssinij  and  impoverishing 
them  ;  and  the  Duke  of  Bavaria  so  far  from 
being  Emperor  that  he  is  dispossessed  of  hi^ 
dukedom  :  And  France  so  far  from  being 
strengthened  by  Sfiain,  that  the  kingdom  of 
Spain  is  like  to  be  an  occasion  of  weakening 
and  impoverishing  their  own  kingdom  ;  they 
themselves  so  reporting.  And  their  great 
army  going  against  New  Englandy  turned 
back  ashamed  ;  and  they  discouraged  and 
disheartened^  and  every  year  very  exercising 
fears  and  cares  as  to  the  savages  who  live  up 
the  river.  Before  the  return  of  that  army, 
they  told  me,  we  were  led  up  and  down,  and 
sold  by  the  heathen,  as  s'.eep  for  the  slaughi- 
ter,  and  they  could  not  devise  what  they 
should  do  with  us,  we  should  be  so  many 
prisoners,  when  the  army  returned.  The 
Jesuite  told  me,  it  was  a  great  mercy  that  so 
many  of  our  children  were  brought  to  them, 
and  that  now  especially  since  they  were  not 
like  speedily  to  be  returned,  there  was  hope 
of  their  being  brought  over  to  the  Romish 
faith.  They  would  take  the  English  chil- 
dren  born  among  them,  and  against  the  con- 
sent of  their  parents,  baptize  them.  One 
Jesuit  e  came  to  me  and  asked,  whether  all 
the  English  at  Ldret  (a  place  not  far  from 
Quebec  where  the  Savages  lived)  were  baptiz- 
ed i  I  told  him  they  were.  He  said,  if  they 
be^  oot,let  me  know  of  it,  that  I  may  biaptisse 


'\  I 


■  H  \ 


52        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

them  fbv  fear  they  should  dk^  and  be  datnn* 
ed,  if  they  die  without  baptism «  Says  he^ 
wheo  the  savages  went  against  yon,  I  char^t 
ed  them  to  baptize  all  children  betbre  they 
killed  them  ;  such  was  my  desire  of  your  e- 
ternal  salvation,  though  you  were  our  ene- 
mies. There  was  a  geritleman  called  Morif 
sieur  de  Beauville^  a  Captain,  the  brother  of 
the  Lord  intendant,  who  was  a  good  friend 
to  me,  and  very  courteous  to  all  the  captives ; 
he  lent  me  an  English  bible,  and  when  he 
went  to  France  gave  k  to  me.  Ml  means 
'were  used  to  seduce  poor  souls*  ^ 

I  was  invited  one  day  to  dine  with  one  of 
chief  note  y  as  I  was  goings  met  with  the 
auperior  of  the  Jesuites  coming  out  of  the 
house,,  and   became  in  after   dinsier;  and 
presently  it  was  propounded  to  me,  if  I  wou>d 
stay  among^  them,  and  be  c^  their  religion,  T 
^ould  have  a  great  and  honorable  pension 
from  the  King  every  year..    The  superior  of 
the  Jesuits  turned  to  me  and  said',  <'  bir,  you: 
have  manifested  much  grief  and  sorrow  for 
your  separation  from  so  many  of  your  neigh- 
bors and  children  j  if  you  will  now  comply 
with  this  offer  r.nd  proposal,  you  may  have 
all  your  children  with  you  j  and  here  will  be 
enough   for   an  hoi.orable  maintenance  for 
yoa   and   them.'*     I  answered,,  "  Sir,  if  I 
thought  your  religion  to  be  true,.  I  would, 
embrace  it  freely  without  any  such  o&r,  tut 
so  long  as  I  brfiev«  it  to  be  what  it  is^  tha? 


posj 


« 


6¥  JOHN    WILLIAMS. 


43' 


i^ffer  ofthcwhoie  world  is  cf  no  more 
value  to  IPC  than  a  bkckberry  ;"  and  man- 
iJFested  such  an  abhorrance  of  this  pro- 
posal, that  I  speedily  went  to  take  my  leave 
and  be  gone.  "  Oh  Sir,  (said  he)  sit  down, 
why  in  such  a  hurry  ?  You  are  alone  in  your 
chamber,  divert  yourself  a  little  longer ;" 
and  fell  to  other  discourse :  And  within  half 
an  hoiir  says  again,  "  Sir,  I  have  one  thing 
earnestly  to  request  of  you,!  pray  you  pleas- 
ure me  !•'  I  said,  "  Let  your  Lordship 
speak/'  Said  he,  "  I  pray  come  to  tLe  pal- 
ace tomorrow  morning,  and  honor  me  with 
your  company  in  my  coach  to  the  gre%t 
church,  it  being  then  a  Saint's  day."  I  an- 
swered,.'* Ask  me  any  thihg-^  wherein  I  can 
serve  you  with  z  good  conscience,  and  I  ain 
ready  to  gratify  you  j  but  I  must  ask 'your 
excuse  here  ;"  and  icnmediately  went  away 
from  him*  Returning  to  my  chamber,  1  gave 
God  thanks  for  his  upholding  me  ;  and  also 
made  an  enqv^iry  with  myself,  whether  I  had 
by  any  arrion  given  encouragement  for  such' 
jtteiftptation  ?-  . 

At  CHATEAVVickE^^f teen  miles  below 
V  Quebec 

NdI  many  dnys  after,  and  a  few  days  before ' 
d  over  nor  de  Vcudrers  CQiining  down,  I  was  * 
sent  away  fikeen  miles  down  the  river,  tha|^- 
I 'might  not  have  oppoi^tunity;  of -convier^- 


I 


'1-^  I 


'i  '1 


.»■     S,.i 


riiiiiiiB 


^ih*         CAPTIVITY  AjJD  DELIVER ANCE, 

with  the  English.  T  was  courteously  trcsltcfd 
by  the  French,  and  the  Priest  of  that  parish  ; 
they  told  me,  he  was  one  of  the  most  learn« 
ed  qjen  in  the  country  ;  he  was  a  veryingcn- 
ious  man,  zealous  in  their  way,  but  yet  very 
familiar.  I  had  many  disputes  with  the 
Priests  who  came  thither  :  And  when  I  used 
their  own  authors  to  confute  some  of  their 
positions,  my  books  borrowed  of  them  were 
taken  away  from  me  y  for  they  said,  I  made 
an  ill  use  of  them.  They  having  many  of 
them  boasted  of  their  unity  in  doctrine  and 
profession,  were  loth  I  should  show  them 
from  their  own  best  approved  authors,  as 
many  diflF^rcnt  opinions,  as  they  could  charge 
agast  us.  Here  again,  a  gentleman  in  the 
f  resence  of  the  old  Bishop  and  Priest^  offered 
me  his  house,  and  whole  living,  with  assur- 
ance of  honor,  wealth  and  employment j  if  I 
would  embrace  their  ways.  I; told  them,  I 
had  an  indignation  of  soul  against  such  of- 
fiers,  on  such  terms  as  parting  with  what  was 
more  valuable  than  all  the  world ;  alledging, 
what  is  a  man  profited  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall 
a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?  I^was 
sometimes  told  I  might  have  all  my  children, 
if  ^  70uld  comply,  and  must  never  expect  to 
have  them  on  any  other  terms.  I  told  thcmD 
My  childre*t:wcre  dearer  to  me  than  all  the 
world,  but  1  would  not  deny  Christ  and  Ms 
truths  for  the  having  of  them  with  mC}  I 


tm  Of  JOHN*  WILLrAIVtS...  ,A.:' 


"^^^^ 


sed 
leir 


#6uld  still  put  my  trust  in  God,  who  could 
perform  all  things  for  mc.    .«?! 

I  am  persuaded  that  the  Priest  of  that  par* 
ish  where  I  kept,  abhorred  their  sending 
down  the  heathea  to  commit  outrages 
against  the  English  y  saying.  It  was  more 
like  committing  murder,  than  managing  a 
war.  In  my  confinement  in  this  parish,  I 
had  my  undisturbed  opportunities  to  be  hum- 
bly imploring  God*s  grace  for  ourselves,  for 
soul  and  body ;  for  his  protecting  presence 
with  New  England^  and  his  disappointing 
the  bloody  designs  of  e^iemies  ;^  that  God 
Would  be  a  little  sanctuary  to  us  in  a  land  of 
captivity  ^  and  that  our  friends  in  New  En^ 
gland  might  have  grace  ta  make  a  more 
thankful  and  faithful  improvement  of  the 
means  of  grace^than  we  had  done ;  wh<i  by 
our  neglects,  find  ourselves,  out  of  God's, 
sanctuary. 

On  the   21st  of   6.  ^^r   1 704-,  I  received 
'  some  letters  from  New  Engl  md^  with  an  ac- 
*  €ount    that  n^ny  of  my  neighbors   t  >caped 
out  of  tie  desolations  in  the  fort  j  and  that 
toy  wife  was  recarried  and  decently  buried;, 
and-   tha:  my  eldest  son  who  was  absent  in 
our  desolation,  was  sent  to  College^  and  pro- 
vided; for;^  which  occasioned   tha*     o^^*"S 
to  G^d  in  the  ipidsf  of  afflictions,  and  caused? 
f^)/^  even  in  C^^^iz^d^  to  be  going  daily  up 
to    heaven    .fora^bllssing   on    be!i^»ctors, 
^Ihowing  sudb  kiadj^is  to  the^de^M^  a&d. 
affictcdv 


^ 


1*1 


H 


¥ 


fc,iJ,.'»^«.i.i.:.;.,'^',* 


m 


^        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVEItANCE 

The  consideration  of  such  crafty  designs 
to   ensnare  young  ones,  and    to  turn  them 
from  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  to  Romish 
superstition,  was   very  exercising.    Some- 
times they  would  tell  me,  my  children,  some- 
times my    neighbors,  were  turned  to  be  of 
their  religion.     Some  made  it  their  work  to 
allure  poor  souls  by  flatteries  and  great  prom- 
ises, some  threatened,  some  offered  abusive 
carriages  to  such  as  refused  to  go  to  church 
and  be  present  at  mass.    Some  they  industri- 
ously contrived  to  get  married  among  them. 
A  Priest  drew  up  a  compendium  of  the  Ro* 
man  Catholic  faith,  and  pretended  to  prp:^*? 
it  by  the  scriptures^  telling  the  English,  that 
all  they  required  was  contained  in  the  scrip- 
tures, which    they  acknowledged  to  be  the 
rule    of  faith  and  manners  ;  but  it    was  by 
scriptures  horribly  perverted  and  abused.    1 
could  never  come  to  the  sight  of  it,  (though 
I  often  earnestly  entreated  a  copyof  it)  until 
I  was  a  ship  board  for  our  voyage  for  l^ew 
England  ;  but  hearing  of  it,  I  endeavored  to 
possess  the  English  with  their  danger  of  be- 
ing cheated  wit h  s  ch  a  pretence*    I  under- 
stood they  would  tell  the  English  that  1  was 
turned,  that  they*  might  gain  them  to  change 
their  religion.     These  their  endeavors^  to  %$•- 
duce  to  Popery,  were  very  exercising  to  n  f. 
And  in  my  solitariness,  I  drew  up  thi;se  fol«^  - 
lowing  sorrc  yful,  rot^rnfui  consider  at  ion  j|,i 
tiu>ugh  uaused  to,  a^d  un  kiliul  in  ppetry^i> 


fVVr 


>S'«Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


it 


yefTn  "a  plain  stile  for  the  use  of  some  of  the 
captives,  who  would  sometimes  make  their 
secret  visits  to  me,  which  at  the  desire  of 
some  of  them,  are  here  made  public. 


SOM£  C02IT£MPLATI0NS0FTHE  POOR   AND  DESOLATE  StATI^ 

^       **      OF  THE  Church  at  Deerfield.  ' 


THE  sorrows  of  my  heart  enlarged  are> 
Whilst  I  my  present  stale  with  past  compare, 
I  frequently  unto  God's  house  did  go, 
With  Christian  friends,  his  praises  forth  to  show* 
But  now,  I  solitary  sit,  both  sigh  and  cry, 
Whilst  my  flock's  misery  think  on  do  I. 

Many,  Both  old  and  young,  were  slain  out  right  i 
Some  in  a  bitter  se^^'on  take  their  flight ; 
Some  burnt  to  death  ;  and  others  stifled  were  ; 
The  enemy  no  age  or  sex  would  spare. 
The  tender  children,  with  their  parents  sad, 
Are  carryM  forth  as  captives  ;  sonn^  unclad  ^ 
Some  murdered  in  the  way,  unburied  left  ; 
And  some  through  famine  were  of  life  bereft. 
After  a  tedious  journey,  some  are  sold  ; 
Some  left  in  Heathen  hands  i  all  from  Christ's  fold> 
By  Popish  rage,  and  Heath'nish  cruelty. 
Are  banished  :  Yea  some  compellM  to  be    '' 
Present  at  Mass  ;  young  children  parted  arc 
From  parents,  and  such  as  instructors  were* 
Crafty  designsare  us'd  by  Papists  all, 
In  ignorance  o£ truth,  them  to  inthral  ; 
Some  threatened  are,  unless  they  will  comply, 
In  Heathen  hands  again  be  made  ta  lye. 
To  some  large  promises  are  madcy  if  they 
Will  truths  renounce,  and  choose  their  Popish  ^aj^V 
Oh  Lord  !  mine  eyes  on  thee  shall  vHiitin^bf^i      - 
*TiU  thou  a^ainturn^  qi^  cafitivitVy      ,    .  ..r^^yC'  . 


r 


«i       CAPTIVITY  AM»  DELIVERANCE 


Their  Komish  plots,  thou  c&nst  confoundi  and  save 
This  little  flock,  this  mercy  do  I  crave. 
Save  us  from  all  our  sins,  and  yet  again 
Deliver  us  from  them  who  truth  dndain. 

Lord  i  For  thy  mercy  sake,  thy  covenant  mind  ;. 
And  in  thy  house  again,  rest  let  us  find. 
So  we  thy  praises  forth  will  shew,  and  speak 
Of  all  thy  wondVouA  works  ;  yea  we  will  seek 
Th*  advancement  of  thy  great  and  glorious  name, 
Thy  rich  and  sovereig^n  grace,  we  will  proclaim. 


.i<fc'*'-.iSi" 


il 


I 


THE  hearts  of  some  were  ready  to  be  dis- 
couraged and  sink,  saying,  they  were  out  of 
sight,  and  so  out  of  mind«  I  endeavored  to 
persuade  them  we  were  not  forgotten  ;  that 
undoubtedly  many  prayers  were  continually 
going  up  to  heaven  for  us.  Not  long  after 
came  Capt.  Livmgstpny  and  Mr.  Shelden,  with 
letters  from  his  ex^  \ency  our  Governor,  to 
the  Governor  ot  Canada^  about  the  exchange 
of  prisoners  ;  which  gave  a  revival  to  many, 
and  raised  expectations  of  a  return.  These 
visits  from  J^/l?w  England  to  Canada  so  often, 
greatly  strengthened  many  who  were  ready 
to  faint  ;  and  gave  some  check  to  the  de- 
signs of  the  Papists  to  gain  proselytes.  But 
God's  time  of  deliverance  was  not  yet  come. 
As  to  some  particular  persons,  their  tempta- 
tions and  trials  were  increased  ;  and  some  a- 
bused  because  they  refused  a  compliance  with 
their  superstitions.  A  young  woman  of  our 
town  met  with  a  new  trial.  For  on  a  day, 
a  Frenchman  came  into  the  room  where  she 
was,  and  shewing  her  his  beads,  and  boasting 


■&> 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


S9 


of  them,  putting  them  near  to  her  ;  she 
knocked  them  out  of  his  hands  on  the  floor ; 
for  which  she  was  beaten,  and  threatened 
with  death,  and  for  some  days  imprisoned. 
I  pleaded  with  God  his  overruling  this  first 
essay  for  the  deliverance  of  some,  as  a  pledge 
of  the  rest  being  delivered  in  due  time.  I 
improved  Capt.  de  BeauviIle,,who  had  always 
been  very  friendly,  to  intercede  with  the 
Governor  for  the  return  of  my  eldest  daugh- 
ter ;  and  for  his  purchasing  my  son  Stephen^ 
from  the  Indians  at  St.  Francois  fort  ^  and  for 
liberty  to  go  up  and  see  my  children  and 
neighbors  at  Mont  Royal.  Divine  providence 
appeared  to  a  moderating  my  afflictions,  in 
that  five  English  persons  of  our  town  were 
permitted  to  return  with  Capt.  Livingston,  a- 
mongst  whom  went  my  eldest  daughter. 
A<nd  my  son  Stephen  was  redeemed  and  sent 
to  live  with  me  :  He  was  almost  quite  naked, 
and  very  poor  ;  he  had  su£fered  much  amofig 
the  Indians.  One  of  the  Jesuits  took  it  upon 
him,  to  come  to  the  wigwam,  and  whip  him 
on  some  complaint  that  the  Squaws  had 
made,  that  he  did  not  work  enough  for 
them.  As  to  my  petition  for  going  up  to 
Mont  Royals  to  see  my  children  and  neigh- 
bors, it  was  denied  ;  as  my  former  desire  of 
conring  up  to  the  city  before  Capt.  Living- 
%tm*s  coming,  was.  Grod  granted  niir£ivor 
m  to  twa  of  my  petitions  j  but  yet  brought 
j^Q  by  his  grace  to  be  willing,  t^  Ke(9i^iild 


i  i': 


i-^  i 


4 


60        CAPTIVITY  Am  DELIVERANCE 

glorify  himself  in  disposing  of  me  and  mine 
as  he  pleased,  and  knew  to  be  most  ior  hU 
glory.  And  almost  always  before  any  re- 
marKable  favor,  I  was  brought  to  lye  down 
at  the  foot  of  God,  and  made  to  be  willing 
that  God  should  govern  the  world,  so  as 
might  be  most  for  his  own  honor,  and 
brought  to  resign  all  to  his  holy  sovereignty, 
A  frame  of  spirit  when  wrought  in  me  by 
the  grace  of  God,  giving  the  greatest  content 
and  satisfaction  ;  and  very  often  a  forerunner 
of  the  mercy  asked  of  God,  or  a  plain  dem- 
onstration, that  the  not  obtaining  my  request 
was  best  for  me.  I  had  no  small  refreshing, 
in  having  one  of  my  children  with  me  for 
four  months.  And  the  English  were  many 
of  them  strengthened  with  hopes  that  the 
treaties  betwixt  the  goverments  would  issue 
in  opening  a  door  of  escape  for  all. 

In  August  J  Mr.  Dudley  and  Gapt.  Vetch  ar- 
rived, and  great  encouragements  were  given 
^s  to  an  exchange  of  all  in  the  spring  of  the 
year  ^  and  some  few  again  were  sent  home  ; 
amongst  whom  I  obtained  leave  to  send  my 
son  Stephen* 

At    Quebec.  ^^ 

Upon  Mr.  Dudlefs  and  Capt.  VetcVs  pcti* 
tioning,  I  was  again  permitted  to  go  up  t# 
Quebec  \  but  disputing  with  a  Menclicanii 
Fryar,  who  said,  he  was  an  Englishmaa  sent 


»^ 


O*  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


61 


from  France^  to  endeavor  the  conversion  of 
the  Etiglish  at  Quebec  ;  who  arrived  at  Can* 
ada  whnst  our  gentlemen  were  there  :  I  was 
by  the  Priests  means  ordered  again  to  return 
to  Chaleauvkhe  ;  and  no  other  reason  given, 
but  because  1  discoursed  with  that  Priest,  and 
their  fear  I  should  prevent  his  success  among 
the  captives.  But  God  shewed  his  dislike 
of  such  a  persecuting  spirit ;  for  the  very 
next  day,  which  was  September  i^Oth,  O.  S. 
October  ist,  N.  S.  the  Seminary,  a  very  fa- 
mous building,  was  most  of  it  burnt  down, 
occasioned  by  a  joiner's  letting  a  coal  of  fire 
drop  down  among  the  shavings.  The  Chap- 
pel  in  the  Priests  garden,  and  the  Great 
Cross  were  burnt  up  z  This  Seminary  and 

another  Librarv  had  been  -  burnt  but  about 

■* 

three  years  before.  The  day  after  my  being 
sent  away  by  the  Priests  nieans  from  Quebec 
at  first,  there  was  a  thunder  storm,  and  the 
lightning  struck  the  Seminary  in  the  very 
place  where  the  fire  now  began. 

At     C  h  a  t  e  a  u  V  I  c  h  e. 


A  little   b^'fore  Mr.  Dudley* s  arrival,  came 

a  Soldier  into  my  Landlord's  house  barefoot 

and    barelegged,   going  on  a  pilgrimage  to 

Jig/wi'  Anne,    For  said  he,  my  Captain,  who^ 

^^S^  some  years  ago,  appeared  to  me^  atsdtb^ 

g,  he  wafi  in    purgatory  ;  and   tb^ite>e1E 

tot  go   a  pilgrimage  to  Saint  ^i^^Mxi^ 


^,'— 


I 


63        CAPTIVITY  AND  DEUVEUANCE 

penance,  and  get  a  mass    said  for   him,  and 
then  he  should  be  deliveted.    And  many  be- 
lieved it,  and  were  mudi  affected   with  it ; 
came  and  told  me  of  it^  to  gain  my  credit  of 
their  devised  purgarory :  The    Soldier  told 
9ie,  the  Priests  had  counselled  him  to  under- 
take this  pilgrimage.    And  I  am  apt  to  think> 
ordered  his  calling  in  at  my  Landlord's,  that 
I  might  see  and  &peak  with  him.    I  laughed 
at  the  conceit,  that  a  Soldier  must  be  pitched 
upon  to  be  sent  on  this    errand  ;  but  they 
were  much  displeased  and  iiUiiented  my  ob- 
stinacy, in  that  1  would  not  be  reclaimed  from 
a  denial  of  purgatory,  by  such  a  miraculous 
providence. 

As  I  was  able,  I  spread  the  case  before  God 
beseeching  him  to  disappoint  them  of  their 
expectations  to  proselyte  any  of  the  captives 
by  this  stratagem  ;  and  by  the  goodneis  of 
God,  it  was  not  very  serviceable  :  For  the 
soldier's  conversation  was  such,  that  several 
among  the  French  themselves  judged  it  to 
be  a  forgery.  And  though  the  Captain  spo- 
ken of  was  the  Governor's  lady's  brother,  I 
never  more  heard  any  concernment  or  care 
to  get  him  out  of  purgatory. 

One  of  the  parish  where  I  lived,  told  me, 
th3t  on  the  S2d  of  July  1705^  he  was  "at  Que- 
becy  at  the  Mendicant  Fryars  church,  on  one 
of  their  feast  days,  in  honor  of  a  great  SaMc 
of  their  order,  and  that  at  five  o'jlock  ma^ 
in  the  morning,  near  two  hundred  persps 


Of  JOH^r  WILLIAMS. 


6^ 


present,  a  great  grey  cat  broke  or  pushed  a- 
side  some  glass,  entered  inta  the  church,  and 
passed  along  near  the  altar,  and  put  out  five 
or  SIX  candles,  that  were  burning  ;  and  that 
no  one  could  tell  which  way  the  cat  went 
out  :  And  he  thought  it  was  the  Devil. 

At     Q  u  E  B  E  c. 

When  I  was  in  the   city  in    September,  I 
saw  two  English  maids  who  had  lived  with 
the  Indians  a  long  time.     They  told  me,  that 
an  Indian  had  died  at  the  pliace  where  they 
were,  and  that  when  sundry  of  his  relations 
were  together,  in  order  to  his  funeral,  the 
dead  arose,  and  informed  them,   that  at  his 
death  he  went  to  hell,  and  there  he  saw  all 
the  Indians  that  had  been  dead    since  their 
embracing  the  Popish  religion  ;  and  warned 
them  to  leave  it  off,  or  they  would  be  dam- 
ned too  ;  and  laid  down  dead  again.    They 
said  the  Indians  were  frighted,  and  very 
melancholy  ;  but  the  Jesuits,  to  whom  they 
told  this,  told  them,  it  was  only  a  delusion'of 
the  devil,  to  draw  them  away  from  the  true 
religion  ;  adding,  that  he  knew  for  certain, 
that  all  those  Indians  who  had  been  d«ad,  i^o- 
ken  of  by  that  Indian,  were  in  heaven^  ^^^tyi 
one  Squaw  was  gone  to  hell,  who  died  vdth- 
but    baptism.    These  maids  said  alsd^   tMt 
'many  of  the  Indians    much  lamented  tl^ir 
Tiiaking  war  against  the  English,  at  the  insti- 
gation of  the  French, 


44        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


At    C  h  a  t  e  a  u  V  i  c  h  b. 

The  Priests,  after  Mr.  Dudleys  going  from 
Canada^  were  ready  to  think  their  time  was 
bhort  for  gaining  English  proselytes,  and 
doubled  their  diligence  and  wiles,  to  gain  o- 
vcr  persons  to  their  persuasion.  I  improved 
all  opportunities  I  could  to  write  to  the  En- 
glish, that  in  that  way  1  might  be  serviceable 
to  them.  But  many  or  most  of  my  letters 
treating  about  religion,  were  intercepted, « cA 
burnt.  I  had  a  letter  sent  oown  to  me  by 
order  of  the  Governor,  that  I  had  a  liberty 
of  writing  to  my  children  and  friends,  which 
should  be  continued  -,  provided  I  wrote  about 
indifferent  things,  and  said  nothing  in  them 
iibout  the  points  in  controversy  betw^er 
them  and  us :  And  if  I  were  so  hardy  as  to 
write  letters  otherwise,  they  sliould  endeav* 
or  to  prevent  their  being  delivered.  Accord- 
ingly,.! found  many  of  them  were  burnt. 
But  sometimes  notice  would  be  given  to  the 
English,,  that  there  were  lettei^  written,  but 
that  they  were  burnt  j.  so  that  their  writing 
was  somewhat  useful,  though  never  perused 
by  the  English,  because  they  judged  chose  let- 
ters condemned  Popery.  Many  of  our  let- 
ters written  from  New  England^  were  never 
delivered,  because  of  some  expressions  abou£ 
religion  in  them.  And  as  I  said  before,  afte^ 
Mr.  Dtdlefs  departure  from  Quebec^  eadcav^ 


ors  ^ 
were 
were 
wouU 

worn 

ion 

with 


m. 


Ow  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


65 


ors  were  very  vigorous  to  seduce.  Some 
were  flattered  with  large  promises,  others 
were  threatened  and  beaten,  because  they 
would  not  turn.  And  when  two  English 
women,  who  had  always  opposed  their  relig- 
ion were  sick  in  the  hospital^  they  kept 
with  them  night  and  day,  till  they  died  ;  and 
their  friends  kept  from  coming  to  visit 
them  ;  after  their  death,  they  gave  out,  that 
they  died  in  the  Romish  faith,  and  were  re- 
ceived into  their  communion.  Before  their 
death,  mafises  were  said  for  them  ;  and  th«y 
buried  in  the  church  yard^  with  ail  their  cer- 
emonies* And  after  thisj  letters  were  sent 
into  all  parts  to  inform  the  English,  that 
these  two  women  turned  to  their  religion , 
before  their  death,  and  thsrt  it  concernied 
them  to  follow  their  exampie  ;  for  they 
could  not  be  more  obstinate  than  those  woifi^/ 
en  were  in  their  health,  against  the  RomisK 
faith,  and  yet  on  a  death  bed  embraced  it. 
They  told  the  English  who  lived  near,  that 
our  religion  was  a  dangerous  religion  to  die 
in.  But  I  shall  hei-eaftet  relate  the  just 
grounds  we  have  to  think  these  things  were 
falshoods. 

I  was  informed,  there  was  aa  En^shgir! 
bid  to  take  and  wear  the  cross^  and  cross 
herseif  :  She  refused  ;  they  threatened  her, 
and  shewed  her  the  cross.  At  length  she  bad 
her  choice,  either  td  cross  herself,  and  take 
tfcc  cross,  or  be  whipt,  she  chose  to  be  wfaipt  j  ^ 

F.  2- 


i.;i 


<\ 


m 


U        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

.ihd  tifiey  took  up  her  cloaths,  and  made  as 
though  they  would  correct  her  •,  but  seeing 
her  choosing  indeed  to  suflFer  rather  than 
comply,  they  desisted,  and  tied  the  cross  a- 
bout  her  neck.  Some  were  taken  and  shut 
up  among  the  religious,  and  all  sorts  of  means^ 
use  J  to  gain  then!, 

I  received  a  letter  from  one  of  my  neigh- 
bors, wherein  he  thus  bewails.  "  /  obtained 
kave.  of  mymaner^  to  go  is  the  Macqua  fort  to 
iee  my  childreny  that  I  had^oi  seenfo^  a  long 
iime.  I  carried  a  letter  from  my  master,;,  to  shew 
that:  I  had  leave  to  come.  When  I  came  to  the 
forty  I  heard  one  of  my: children  was  in  the  woods.. 
I  went  to  see  a  boy  I  had  there ^  who  lived  with 
one  cfthe  yesuits  ;  I  hadjusi  asked  him  of  his 
welfare ;  he  said  his  master  tv&uld  come  pres' 
ently^  he  durst  not  stay  /d  speak  with  me  now^ 

y^ing   in  such   awe  of  his  master.     On  which! 

"  'withdrew^  and  when  his  master  came  in^  I  went 
iind  asked  kave  of  him  to  speak  with  my  child 
and  shewed  him  tny  ktter.  But  }>€  absolutely  re- 
fused  to  let  me  see  or  speak  with  him  ;  and  said^ 
I  had  brought  no  letter  from  the  Governor^  and 
would  not  permit  me  to,  stay  in  the  fort  ^though  I 
had  travelled  on  foot  near  fifty  miles  f^r  no  other 
errand  them  to  speak  with  my  children.^* 

I'he  same  person,,  with  another  Engiish- 
xnan,la&t  spring,  obtained  leave  of  the  Gov- 
ernor General,  to  go  to  the  same  fort  on  the 
^.^mt  errand,  and  carried  letters  from  the 
Governor  to  the  Jesuits,  that  he  might  be  per- 


^SM 


yiiiliiiiiliiMiiiiiiiiiiii 


WT^ 


led 
to 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


♦"•tyj" 


6r 


mitted  to  speak  with  his  children.  The  let- 
ter was  delivered  to  the  Jesuits  ;  who  told 
hini>  his  son  was  not  at  home,  but  gone  a 
hunting.  When  as  he  was  hid  from  them, 
as  he  heard  afterwards,  so  the  poor  man  lost 
his  labor  a  second  time.  These  men  say, 
that  when  they  returned  to  Mont  Royal,  one 
Laland,  who  was  appointed  as  a  spy,  always 
to  observe  the  motions  of  the  English,  told 
them,  that  one  of  the  Jesuits  had  come  in 
before  them,  and  had  told  the  Governor  that 
the  hd  was  gone  a  hunting  ^  and  that  the  En- 
glishman who  accompanined  this  poor  man, 
went  out  into  the  woods  in  hope  of  finding 
the  lad,  and  saw  him,  but  the  lad  run  away» 
and  that  he  followed  him  and  called  after  him, 
but  he  would  not  stop  ;  but  holding  out  a 
gun  threatened  to  shoot  him  down,  if  he  fol- 
lowed him,  and  so  he  was  discouraged,  a 
turned  back*  And  says  Laland,  you  w 
never  leav^oing  to  see  your  children  an 
neighbors,  Ti!l  some  of  you  are  killed.  But 
the  men  told  him,  it  was  an  absolute 
lie,  let  who  would  report  it  ;  for  they  had 
neither  seen  the  lad  nor  did  they  go  into  the 
woods  to  search  after  him.  They  Judgethis 
was  told  to  the  Governor,  to  prevent  an.y 
English  for  the  future  going  to  see  their 
children  and  neighbors.  Some  of  ours  say, 
they  k  ^e  been  Uttle  better  than  promised, 
to  have  their  children  who  are  am(|ng  the 
savages,  in  case  thej  themselves  would  eia* 


I 


:ISi 


s^ 


68        CAPTIVITY  and  DELIVERANCE 

brace  Popery.  And  that  the  Priests  had  said, 
they  had  rather  the  children  should  be  among 
the  Indians,  as  they  were,  than  to  be  brought 
out  by  the  French,  and  so  be  in  readiness  to 
return  for  New  England* 

A  maid  (rf  our  town  was  put  into  a  rclig* 
i^^us  house  among  the  nuns,  for  more  than 
two  years,  and  all  sorts  of  means  by  flatteries,** 
threatenings,  and  abusive  carriages  used  to 
bring  her  to  turn.  They  offered  her  money, 
which  when  refused,  espedially  the  latter  part 
of  the  time,  they  threatened  her  very  much  ; 
sent  for  her  before  them,  commanded  her  to 
cross  herself.  She  refused  ;  they  hit  her  a 
box  on  the  ear ;  lAd  her  again  ;  still  she  re- 
fused. They  ordered  a  rod  with  six  branches 
full  of  knotd  to  be  brought  ;  and  when  she 
refused,  they  struck  her  on  her  hands,  with 
.their  renewing  their  commands  ;  and  she 
stood  to  her  refusals  till  her  hands  were  filled 
with  waks  with  the  blows*  |^tone  said, 
beat  her  no  more  j  we  will  gi^  her  to  the 
Indians  if  she  will  not  turn.  They  pinched 
her  arms  till  they  were  black  and  blue ;  and 
made  her  go  into  their  church  ;  and  because 
she  would  not  cross  herself,  struck  her  sever- 
al blows  with  their  hands  on  hier  facj.  A 
Squaw  was  brought  iti  and  said,  she  was  sent 
in  to  fetch  her  to  the  Indians  ;  bift  she  refus- 
ed :  The  Squaw  went  away,  and  said,  she 
would  bring  her  husbaitd  with  her  tomorrow, 
andshediould  be  carried  away  by  force;  S&e 


-.i- 


Op  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


told  me  she  remembered  what  I  told  her  one 
day,  after  the  nuns  had  threatened  to  give 
her  a  way  to  the  Indians  ;  that  they  only  said 
so  to  affright  her ;  that  they  never  would  give 
her  away.  The  nuns  told  her,  she  should 
not  be  permitted  any  more  to  speak  to  the 
English  ;  and  that  they  would  afflict  her 
without  giving  her  any  rest,  if  she  refused  : 
But  God  preserved  her  from  falling.  This 
poor  girl  had  many  prayers  going  up  to  ' 
heaven  for  her  daily,  and  by  name,  because 
her  trials  were  more  known  to  the  English 
than  the  trials  of  others  who  lived  more  re- 
mote from  them.  ,^.. 

Here  might  be  an  history  by  itself  of  the 
trials  and  sufferings  of  many  of  our  children 
and  young  ones,  who  have  been  abused,  and 
after  separation  from  grown  persons,  made 
to  do  as  they  would  have  them. 

I  shall  here  give  an  account  of  what  was 
done  to  one  Hf  my  children,  a  boy  between 
fifteen  and  sixteen  years  of  age,  two  hundred 
miles  distant  from  me  ;  which  occasioned 
grief  and  sorrow  that  I  want  words  to  utter ; 
and  yet  kept  under  such  awe,  that  he  never 
durst  write  any  thing  to  me  for  fear  of  being 
discovered  in  writing  about  religion.  They 
threatened  to  put  him  to  the  Indians  again, 
if  he  would  not  turn  ;  telling  kim,  he  was 
never  bought  out  of  theii^  hands,  but  only  so- 
journed with  them,  but  if  he  would  turn,  he 
should  never  be  put  into  their  hands  any 


■^*- 


k,i..i! 


fO        CAPTIVITY  AKD  DELIVERANCE 


I 


Mr 


more.    The  Priests  would  spend  whole  days 
in  urging  him.     He  was  sent  to  school  to 
learn  to  read  and  write  French  ;  the  school- 
master  sometimes  flattered  him  with  prom- 
ises, if  he  would  cross  himself,  then  threat- 
ened him  if  he  would  not.     But  when  he  saw 
flattering  promises  of  rewards,  and  threat- 
enings  were  ineffectual,  he  struck  him  with 
a  stick  he  had  in  his  hand ;  and  when  he  saw 
that  would  not  do,  he  make  him  get  dbwn 
on  his   kn«es  about  an  hour,  and  then  came 
and  bid  hirti  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
that  without  any  delay  ;  he   still  refused. 
Then  he  gave  him  a  couple  of  strokes  with  a 
whip  he  had  in  his  hand  ;  which  whip  had 
three  branches,  and  about  twelve  gi'eat  knots 
tiid  to  it ;  and  again  bid  him  make  the  sign 
of  the  cross  5  and  if  it  was  any  sin,  he  would 
bear  it  himself :  And  said  ajso,  you  arc  a- 
fraid  you  shall  be  changed  if  you  do  it  j  but 
(said  he)  you  will  be  the  sam^j  your  fingern 
will  not  be  changed.     And  after  he  had  made 
him  shed  many  tears  under  his  abuses  and 
threatnings,  he  told  him,  he  would  have  it 
done  :  And  so  through  cowardisc  and  fear  of 
Ihe  whip  he  made  the  sign.     And  did  so  for 
several  days  together,  and  with  much  ado  he 
was  brought  to  cross  himself.     And   then 
the  master  told  him,  he  would  have  it  done 
without  his   particular  biding  him.     And 
when  he  came  to  say  his  lesson  and  crossed 
not  himself 3  the  master  said,  have  you  forgot 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS 


ri 


what  I  bid  you  do  ?  No  sir,  said  he.    Then 
the  school  master  said,  down  on  your  knees; 
and  so  kept  him  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  till 
school  was  done  ^  and   so  did  for  about  a 
week.     When  he  saw  this  would  not  do,  he 
took  the  whip.    What !  will  you  not  do  it  ? 
(said  he)  I  will  make  you ;  and  so  again 
Righted  him   to  a  compliance.    After  this 
commanded  him  to  go  to  the  church  :  When 
he  refused,  he  told  him  he  would  make  him. 
And  one   morning  sent  four  of  the  biggest 
boys  of  the  school  to  draw   him  by  force  to 
mass.    These  with  other  severities  and  witly 
stratagems  were  used  ;  and  I  utterly  igno* 
rant   of  any  attempt  made  upon  him,  to 
bring  him  to  change  bis  religicm.    His  fear 
was  such  J  that  he  never  durst  write  any  of 
these  things,  lest  his  letters  should  fall  into 
their  hands,  and  he  should  again  be  deliver* 
ed  to  the  Indians.     Hearing  of  an  opportu* 
nity  of  writing  to  him  by  one  of  the  parish 
where  I  was,  going  up  to  Mont  Royal^  1  wrote 
a  letter  to  him,  and  had  by  him  a  letter  from 
mj  son>  which  I  shall  here  insert. 

ft  '  -  .  „ 

Honored  Father, 

I  Have  received  your  letter  bearing  date 
January  1 1th,  170.V6,  for  which  I  give  you 
many  thanks,  with  my  duty,  and  my  broth- 
ers, I  am  sorry  you  have  not  received  afl 
the  letters  I  have  writ  to  you ;  as  I  have  not 
re€ei:i''ed  all  yours.    According  taycnir  good 


73         CAPTIVITY  ANT)  DKLlVEkANCE 

.  counsel,  I  do  almost  every  day  read  some- 
thing of  the  Bible,  ai)d  so  strengthen  my 
faith.  As  to  the  captives  newly  brought, 
Lancaster  is  the  place  of  two  of  them,  and 
Marlborough  that  of  the  third;  the  Governor 
of  Mvnt  Royal  has  them  all  three.  There  is 
other  news  that  will  seem  Inore  strange  to 
you  ;  that  two  English  women,  who  in  their 
life  time  were  dreadfully  set  against  the 
Catholic  religion,  did  on  their  dt^  h  bed  em- 
brace it.  The  one  Abigail  Turbet^  the  other 
of  them  Esther  Jones ,  both  of  them  known  to 
you.  Abigail  Turbet  sent  for  Mr.  Meriel  the 
Sabbath  before  she  died.  Said  (many  a  time 
upon  several  following  days)  that  ishe  com- 
mitted htr  soul  into  his  hands,  and  was  ready 
to  do  whatever  he  pleased.  She  desired  him 
to  go  to  the  Chappel  St.  Anne^  and  there  to 
say  a  holy  mass  for  her,  that  she  might  have 
her  sins  pardoned,  and  the  will  of  the  Lord 
accomplished  upon  her.  Her  cousin  Mrs. 
Badston,  now  Stihonj  asked  her,  whether  she 
should  be  willing  to  do  as  she  said  ?  she  an- 
swered, yes.  And  upon  the  Tuesday  she 
was  taken  into  the  Catholic  church  in  the 
presence  of  John  Laland,  and  Madam  Griz- 
alem^  an  English  woman,  and  Mrs.  Stilson,  al- 
so with  many  French  people  besides.  She 
was  anointed  with  oil  on  the  same  day  ;  ac- 
cording to  her  will  then.  Upon  the  Wed- 
nesday an  inaage  of  Christ  crucified,  was 
brought  to  her  ^  she  caused  it  to  be  set  up  o- 


Z-^ftOv  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


^  -^, 


73 


ver  against   her  at  the  curtains  of  her  beef, 
and  looked  continually  upon  the  same ;  and 
also  a  little  crucifix  brought  unto   her  ;  she 
took  it,  and  kissed  it,  and  laid  it  upon  her 
stomach.     She  did  also  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross  upon  herself,  when  she  took  any  meat 
or  drink.     She  promised  to  God,  that  if  she 
should  recover,  she  would  go  to  the  mass  ev- 
ery day  :  She  having  on  her  hand  a  crucifix^ 
saying.  Oh    my    Lord,   that    I  should  have 
known    thee  so  late  !  She  did  also  make  a 
ayer   to  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  two  last  days 
of  the  week.     Shc  could  utter  no  word,  but 
by  kissing  the  crucifix,  endeavoring  the  cross- 
ing herself,  she  gave  an  evidence  of  her  faiths 
She  died  Saturday  the  24th  of  November,  at 
three   o'clock  in  the  afternoon.    The  nexln^ 
day    the  Priest  did  commend  the    woman's 
soul    to  the  prayers   of  the  congregation   in  ' 
the  mass  :  In  the  afternoon  «he  was  honor-^ 
ably  buried  in  the  church  yard  next  to  the 
church,    close  to  the    body    of  the    Justice 
Peace's  wife  ;  all  the  people  being  present  at 
her  funeral.     The  same  day  in  the  evening 
Mr.  Metiel  with  an  English  woman,  went  to 
Esther  Jones  ;  she  did  at  first  disdain^  but  a 
little  after  shc  confessed  there  were  seven  sac« 
raments,  Christ's  body    present,  the    sacra- 
ment of  the  mass,  the  inequality  of  power  a- 
mi^g  the  pastors  of  the  church  ;  and  being 
returned  to  wait  by  her  all  night  long,    he 
ceid  and  expounded  to  her  some  parted  the 

G 


■  I. 


'i^- 


f^        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

Catholic  confession  of  faith  to  her  satisfac* 
lion.  About  midnight  he  asked  her,  wheth- 
er she  might  not  confess  her  sins  ?  1  doubt 
not  but  I  may,  said  she.  And  two  hours  after, 
she  made  unto  him  fervent  confession  of  all 
the  sins  of  her  whole  life.  When  he  said,  he 
was  to  offer  Christ  to  his  Father  for  her  ;  she 
liked  it  very  well.  The  superior  of  the  nuns 
being  come  in  to  see  her,  she  now  desired 
that  she  might  receive  Christ's  body  before 
she  died.  She  did  also  show  Mrs.  Stilson  a 
great  mind  to  receive  the  sacrament  of  Ex^ 
treme  unction  \  and  said,  <  hat  if  ever  she 
should  recover  and  get  home,  she  would 
have  reproached  the  Ministers  for  their  neg^ 
lecting  that  sacrament,  so  plainly  command- 
lid  by  St.  James.  In  the  afternoon,  after  she 
had  begged  pardon  for  her  wavering,  and 
the  Catholic  Confession  of  Faith  was  read  a- 
loud  to  her  in  the  hearing  of  Mr.  Craston, 
Mrs.  Stilson^  and  another  English  woman, 
and  she  owned  the  same  ;  about  seven  o'clock 
the  same  day,  she  said  to  Mr.  Dukison,  Shall 
not  they  give  me  the  holy  communion  ? 
But  her  tongue  was  then  so  thick  that  she 
cpuld  hardly  swallow  any  thing.  She  was 
then  anointed  with  holy  oil  :  But  before, 
she  said  to  Mr.  Meriel^  why  have  you  not 
yet.  Sir,  forgiven  my  sins  ?  In  the  night  foU 
lowing,  that  Priest  and  Mr.  Dubism  wire 
continually  by  her  ;  and  sometimes  praying 
to  God  in  her  name,  and  praying  to  the  ¥tr'* 


\.u       4*;; 


Of  JOHN  WILLTAMS, 


75 


f^in  Mary,  and  other  Saints.  She  said  also, 
i  believe  all  :  I  am  very  glad  Christ  was  of- 
fered to  his  Father  for  me.  Six  or  seven 
hours  before  she  died,  a  Crucifix  was  shew- 
ed to  her  by  Mr»  Dubison  ;  she  took  it  and 
laid  it  upon  her  heart,  and  kissed  it  ;  and 
then  the  nuns  hanged  it  with  a  pair  of  beads 
upon  her  neck.  A  little  before  bhe  died, 
Mr.  Dubison  asked  her  to  pray  for  him  in 
heaven  5  she  promised  him  :  So  she  gave  up 
the  gost,  at  ten  of  the  odock  the  'i7th  of 
November,  whilst  the  high  Mass  was  saying  ; 
she  was  soon  commended  to  the  prayers. 
On  the  fourth  day  of  the  week  following  was 
buried,  after  the  Mass  had  been  said  for  her : 
she  was  laid  by  Abigal  Turbet. 

Jan.  23cl,n05'6.  % 

1  have  here  transcribed  the  letter  in  the 
very  words  of  it,  without  the  least  alteration : 
the  same  for  substance  was  sent  to  severa,! 
other  captives.  When  I  had  this  letter  I 
presently  knew  it  to  be  Meriel-s  composing ; 
but  the  messenger  who  brought  the  letter, 
brought  word  that  my  son  had  embraced 
their  religion.  Afterwards  when  some  blam- 
ed him  for  letting  me  know  of  it,  because 
(they  said)  they  feared  my  sorrow  would 
shorten  my  days  ;  he  told  me,  he  thosfght 
with  himself,  that  if  he  was  in  my  case^  he 
should  be  willing  to  know  the  worst,  and 
therefore  told  me,  as  he  would  have  dcsire|[' 
to  have  known  if  in  my  place.     I  thanked; 


9.  *     5 


■*  '  ■       ■   ) 

i 

■f- 

1 

•J    \ 

L  f 

n        CAPTIVITY  Ain>  DELIVERANCE. 

• 

him,  acknowkdging  U  a  favor  to  kt  me  know 
Uf  it :  But  the  news  was  ready  to  overwhelm 
Vie  with  grief  and  sorrow.  I  made  my  com- 
plaint to  God,  and  mourned  before  him  ; 
sorrow  and  anguish  took  hold  upon  me.  I 
asked  of  God  to  dkect  n>e  what  to  do,  and 
how  to  writCi  and  find  an  opportunity  of 
conveying  a  letter  to  him  ;  and  committed 
thisdiffieulty  to  his  providence.  1  now  found 
y  a  greater  opposition  to  a  patient,  quiet,  hum- 
ble  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  than  I 
should  otherwise  have  known,  if  not  so 
tried*  Here  Hhought  of  my  afflictions  and 
trials  ;  my  wife  and  two  children  killed,  and 
many  of  my  *"  ghbors  ;  and  myself,  and  so 
•many  of  my  ch..dren  and  friends  in  a  Popish 
^fcaptivity,  separated  from  our  children,  not 
^capable  tjjr  come  to  them  to  instruct  them  in 
the  way  they  ought  to  go  ;  and  cunning 
crafty  enemies,  using  all  their  subtilty  to  in- 
\sinuate  into  young  ones,  such  principles  as 
would  be  pernicious,  t  thought  with  myself 
how  happy  mafiy  others  were  in  that  they 
had  their  children  with  them,,  under  all  ad- 
vantages to  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord  j  whilst  we  were 
separated  one  from  another,  and  our  children 
in  great  peril^  of  embracing  damnable  doct- 
rines. Oh  I  that  all  parents  who  read  this 
history,  would  bless  God  for  the  advantages 
they  have  of  educating  their  children,  and 
faithfully  improve  it !— 1  mourned  when  I 


ffViJ  Of  JOHN    WILLIAMS. 


fr 


tliought  with  myself,  that  I  had  one  child 
with  the  Macquas,  a  second  turned  to  Popery, 
and  a  little  child  of  six  years  of  age,  in  dan- 
ger from  a  child  to  be  instructed  in  Popery  ; 
and  knew  full  well,  that  all  endeavors  would 
be  used  to  prevent  my  seeing  or  speaking 
with  them.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  these, 
God  gave  me  a  secret  hope,  that  he  would 
magnify  his  power  and  free  grace,  and  disap- 
point all  their  crafty  designs.  When  I  looked 
on  the  right  hand^  and  on  the  left^  all  refuge. 
failed ^  and  none  shewed  any  care  far  my  soitL 
But  God  brought  that  word  to  uphold  me  ;  ; 
Who  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above 
what  we  can  ask  or  think.  As  also  that.  Is 
any  thing  too  hard  for  God  ?  I  prayed  to  God 
to  direct  me  ;  and  wrote  very  short  the  firs?" 
time,  and  in  general  terms,  fearing  lest  if  I 
should  write  about  things  in  controversy,' 
my  letter  would  not  come  to  him.  I  there< 
fore  addressed  him  with  the  following  letter. 


Son  SamueL) 


YOUR's  of  January  2Sd,  I  received,' 
ihd  with  it  had  the  tidings   that  you  had 
made  an  abjuratior  of  the  Pi  otestant  faith  for 
the  Romish  j  news  that  I   heard  with  the ' 
most  distressing,  afflicting,  sorrowful  spirit,  • 
that  ever  I  heard  any  news.  Oh  !  I  pity  you> 
I  mourn  over  yo\i  day  and  night  ! — Oh!  { 
pity  your  weakness,  that  through  the  er|ifii;?'' 


^  .iiu^s/V  t    « 


' 

■:  !i 

■'  I 

i  ■ 
t 

i  ■  -      -■    ■ 

l-\   ]! 

1 

K..      ■             '    i 

f^        CAPTtVrTY  AND  DELIVER' ANC» 

fiess  of  man^  you  are  turned  from  the  sim* 
plicity  of  the  gospel !  I  persuade  myself  you 
have    done   it    through    ignorance*     Oh  ! 
why  have  you  neglected  to  a«k  ar  father's  ad; 
vice  in  an  affair  of  so  great  importance  as  the 
<hange   of  religion  ;  God  knows    that  the 
catechism  in  which  I  instructed  you,  is   ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  God  ;  and  so  will  be 
found  m  the  day  of  judgment.     Oh  !  con- 
>i^der  and  bethink  yourself  what  you  have 
done  !  And  whether  you*  ask  me  or  not,  my 
poor  chiltl,  I  cannot  but  pray  for  you,  that 
you  may  be  recovered  out  ©f  the  snare  you 
are  taken  in.  Read  the  Bible  ;  pray  in  secret  ; 
.  make  Christ*s  righteousness  your  only  plea 
before  God,  for  jXistiflcation  ;  beware  of  all 
immorality,  and  of  profaning  G:od'sSabbaths& 
Let  afather's  advice  be  asked  for  the  future, 
in  all  things  of  weight  and  moment.    What 
•ii  a  man  profited  if  be  gain  the  whole  world,  and- 
rjpse  his  own  sotd?  Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in 
exchange  for  his  soul?  l  desire  to  be  hunibled 
under  the  mighty  hand  of  God  thus  afflict- 
ing me  :  L  would  not  do  as  you  have  done 
for  ten  thousand  worlds.    My   heart  akes 
within   me,,  but  I  will  yet  wait  upon  the 
Lord  ;  to  him  will  I  commit  your  case  day 
and  ni^ht :  He  cao  perform  aU  UiiugafosLma 
and  mine  ;  and  ou  y»t  again  recavcr  yjou 
from  your  fjstl).    Be  \%^  God  forgiving  moui-^ 
tfy  iransgremon  and  sin  :  Tathi  LordourGod. 
'^^f^^Jorgiyenm^^^ugb  ^f  bav^  reMUd*, 


id  * 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS; 


79 


I  charge  you  not  to  be  ii  ^rumentaltocnsnarc 
your  poor  brother  Warham,  or  any  other, 
and  so  add  sin  to  sin.  Accept  of  my  love^ 
and  do  not  forsake  a  father's  advice,  who 
above  all  things  desires  that  your  soul  may 
be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

WHAT  I  mournfully  wrote,  I  followed 
with  my  poor  cries  to  God  in  heaven  to  make 
efFectual,  to  cause  in  him  a  consideration  of 
what  he  had  done.  God  saw  what  a  proud 
heart  I  had  and  what  need  I  had  to  be  an^ 
swered  out  of  the  whirlwind,  that  I  might 
be  humbled  before  him.  Not  having  any 
answer  to  my  letter  for  some  weeks^  I  wrote 
the  following  letter,  as  I  was  enabled  of  God 
and  sent  to  him  by  a  faithful  hand ;  which 
by  the  blessing  of  God,  was  made  efFectual 
tor  his  good,  and  the  good  of  others,  who 
bad  fallen  to  Popery  y.  and  for  the  establish^ 
ing  and  strengthening  others  to  resist  the  es»- 
says,  of  the  adversary  to  truth.  God  brought 
good  out  of  evil,  and  made  what  was  designt 
ed  to  promote  their,  interest^  an  occasion  of 
&hame  to  them.. 


*Xj'i 


*■,* 


•i^J 


SoNv  Samuel-, 


1*1 


t 


¥:*r>9^   i-v. 


■>^  ''f  •• 


^.^•4 


1  Have  waited  till  now  for  an  answer  from 
youi  hoping^  to  hear  from  you,  why  ypm 
liiadc  an  abjuration  of  the  Pi-otestant  faith^ 
for  the  Romish.    Btit  since  you  contiiaue  to- 
neglect  to  write  to  me  about  it,  aayou  negji 
kOed  to  take  any;  advice  or  counsel  from  au 


•flWI 


•m 


#••-'• 


eo 


CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE* 


father,  when  you  did  it  j  I  cannot  forbear 
writing  again,  and  making  some  reflections 
on  the  letter  you  wrote  me  last,  about  the 
two  women.  It  seems  to  me,  from  those 
words  of  Abigail  Turbet*s  in  your  letter,  or 
rather  cf  Mr.  Meriers,  which  you  traiiscrib- 
cd  for  him — "  Abigail Turbei  sent forMx,  Mer- 
Uly  she  committed  her  soul  into  his  hand^  and 
was  ready  to  do  whatsoever  he  pleased**- — 1  say, 
it  seems  rational  to  believe  that  she  had  not 
the  use  of  her  reason  ;  it  is  an  expression  to 
be  abhorred  by  all  who  have  any  true  sense 
t)f  religion.  Was  Mn  Merielz  God,  a  Christ  ? 
Could  he  bear  to  hear  such  words  and  not 
tqtct  them ;  replying,  "  Do  not  commit 
your  soul  inico  my  hands,  but  see  that  you 
commit  your  soul  into  the  hands  of  God 
through  Christ  Jesus,  and  do  whatever  God 
commands  you  in  his  holy  word  :  as  for  me, 
lam  a  creature,  and  cannot  save  your  soul, 
but  will  tell  you  of  Acts  4.  1 2,  Neither  is 
there  salvation  in  any  other  ;  for  th^re  is  m 
Uh^t  name  under  heaven  given  among  men^ 
''phd^y  we  must  be  saved*'  Had  he  been  a 
faitpfbl  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  woud 
havie  said,  *tis  an  honor  due  to  Christ  alone. 
Xhe  holy  Apostle  says,  Now  unto  him  th(H  is 
able  to  keep  you^  and  present  you  faultless  before' 
the  presence  of  his  glory  ^  with  exceeding  joy,  /^f 
the  only  wise  God  our  Savior^  be gkry  and  majt^^ 
esty J  dominion  and powsr^  both  now  and  ever ^ 
4men^  Judc  24?,  25,  verses.    As  to  what  ym^ 


wi 

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thi 


^1 


Of   JOHN   WILLIAMS.  *  'r' 


write  obout  praying  to  the  Virgin  Mary^  and 
other  Saints,  I  make  this  reply  ;  Had  Mr. 
Meriel  done  his  duty,  he  should  have  said  to 
them  as,  1  Job^  2.  1,3.  If  any  man  sin  we  have 
an  advocate  with  the  Father^  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous  ;  ^nd  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins. 
The  scriptures  say,  There  is  one  God,  and  one 
Mediator  between  God  and  Man,  the  Man 
Christ  Jesus.  Yea,  Christ  said,  Go  and 
preach.  He  that  heUcveth  and  is  baptized  shall 
be  saved.  The  -^^.postle  in  Gal.  i .  8.  saith, 
Bui  though  we  or  an  angel  from  Heaven  preach 
any  other  gospel  to  you,  ihan  that  we  have  preach- 
ed  to  you  let  him  be  accursed.  They  never 
preached  praying  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  or 
other  Saints.  As  you  would  be  saved,  hear 
what  the  Apostle  saith,  Heb.  4,  1 3,  &c.  Nei- 
ther is  there  any  creature  that  is  not  manifest  in 
his  sight  ;  but  all  things  are  naked  and  open 
unto  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom  we  have  to  do. 
Seeing  then  that  we  have  a  great  High  Priest 
that  is  entered  into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son 
of  God,  let  us  holdfast  our  profession  ;  for  wt. 
have  not  an  high  priest  that  cannot  be  touched 
with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities,  but  was  in  all 
points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without 
sin  ;  let  us  therefore  come  boldly  unio  the  throne 
of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy  and  find 
grace  to  help  in  tii^e  of  need.  Which  words 
do  hold  forth,  how  that  Christ  Jesus  is  in 
every  respect  qualified  to  be  a  mediator  and 
intercessor  i  and  I  am  si^re  they  cannot  be 


■'f;.»?* 


ad        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


applied  to  any  mere  creature  to  make  them 
capable  of  our  religious  trust.  When  Ro« 
man  Catholics  have  said  all  they  can,  they 
are  not  able  to  prove  that  the  Saints  in  heav- 
en have  a  knowledge  of  what  prayers  are  di- 
rected to  them.  Some  say  they  know  them 
one  way,  others  say  they  have  the  knowledge 
of  them  another  way  :  And  that  which  they 
have  fixed  upon  as  most  probable  to  them, 
is  that  they  know  of  th^m  from  their  behold- 
ing the  face  of  God  ;  seeing  God  they  know 
these  prayers.  But  this  is  a  great  mistake. 
Though  the  Saints  see  and  know  God  in  a 
glorious  manner,  yet  they  have  not  an  infin- 
ite knowledge  ;  and  it  does  no  ways  follow, 
that  because  they  sec  God,  they  know  all 
prayers  that  are  directed  to  them  upon  the 
earth.  -And  God  has  no  where  in  his  word 
told  us,  that  the  saints  have  such  a  knowl- 
edge. Besides,  were  it  a  thing  possible  for 
them  to  have  a  knowledge  of  what  prayers 
are  directed  to  them,  it  does  not  follow  that 
they  are  to  be  prayed  to,  or  h»ve  rcugious 
homage  confered  upon  them.  The  Roman- 
ists can  neither  give  one  scripture  precept  or 
example  for  praying  to  them  :  But  God  has 
provided  a  Mediator,  who  knows  all  our  pe- 
titions, and  is  faithful  and  merciful  enough  ; 
and  we  have  both  scriptutae,  precept  and  ex- 
ample to  look  to  him  as  bur  mediator  and 
advocate  with  the  Father.  Fm^tlier,  it  can- 
not be  proved  that  it  is  consistent  with  the 


ang^ 


£'    Q»  JOHN  WILLIAMS.     ^| 


Vh 


Saints  being  creatures,  as  well  as  with  their 
happiness,  to  have  a  knov/ledge  of  prayers 
from  allpartsof  the  world  at  the  same  time, 
from  many  millions  together,  about  things  so 
vastly  differing  one  from  another  ;  and  then 
to  present  those  supplications  for  all  that  look 
to  them,  is  nor.  humility,  but  willworship. 
Col.  t^.-  18.  Lei  no  man  beguile  you  of  your  re* 
wardy  in  a  voluntary  humiliiy,  worshiping  of 
angels,  ver.  2 '3.  Which  things  indeed  have  a 
shew  of  wisdom^  and  willworship^  and  humility. 
For  what  humility  can  it  be  to  disturb  the 
way  that  God  has  provided  and  encouraged 
us  to  come  to  him  in,  and  impose  upon  God 
a  way  of  our  own  devising  ?  Was  not  God 
angry  with  Jeroboam^  for  imposing  upon 
him  after  such  a  sort  ?  1  Kings  12.  SS.  So 
he  offered  upon  the  altar  which  he  had  made  in 
Bethel,  the  fifth  day  of  the  eighth  month,  which 
he  devised  of  his  own  heart.  Therefore  Christ 
saith,  Mark  7.  7.  Howbeity  in  vain  do  they 
zoorship  me,  teaching  for  doctrines  the  command- 
ments of  men.  Before  the  coming  of  Christ, 
and  his  entering  into  heaven  as  an  interces- 
sor ;  (Hcb.  7.  25.  Wherefore  he  is  able  to  save] 
them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  to  God  by  hini^ 
seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
them)  I  say,  before  Christ*s  entering  into 
heaven  as  an  intercessor,  not  one  word  of 
any  prayer  to  Saints  :.What  reason  c^n  be 
given  that  now  there  is,  of  so  many  Saints  to 
make  intercession  j  when  Christ  a,^  a  Frl^HSt: 


■<-'-.qT/ 


S4        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

entered  into  heaven  to  make  intercession  for 
us  ?  I  he  answer  the  Romanists  give  is  a  very 
fable  and  falshood  ^  namely,  that  there  were 
DO  Saints  in  heaven,  till  after  the  ascension 
of  Christ,  bur  were  reserved  in  a  place  called 
Limbus  Pairum,  and  so  had  not  the  beatifical 
vision.  See  Gen.  5.  24^.  Enoch  walked  with 
God  and  was  not ^  for  God  took  him.  If  he  was 
not  taken  into  heaven,  what  can  be  the  sense 
of  those  words.  For  God  took  him  ?  Again  2 
Kings  2.  1 .  When  the  Lord  would  takeu  p 
Elijah  into  heaven  by  a  whirlwind,  ver  1 1 . 
There  appeared  a  chariot  of  fir  e^  and  horses  of 
fire,  andpurtedthem  both  asunder^  and  Elijah  went 
up  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven*  Must  the  truth  of 
the  scripture  be  called  in  question  to  uphold 
their  notions  ?  Besides,  it  is  not  consistent 
with  reason  to  suppose  that  Enoch  and  Elias 
instead  of  having  a  peculiar  privilege  vouch- 
safed to  them,  for  their  eminency  in  holiness, 
should  be  less  happy  for  so  long  a  time  than 
the  rest  of  the  saints  deceased,  who  are  glori- 
fied in  he?,ven  j  which  must  be,  if  they  arc 
yet  kept  and  must  be  till  the  day  of  judgment 
out  of  heaven,  and  the  beatifical  vision,  in 
an  earthly  Paradise,  according  to  some  of 
the  Romanists  ;  or  in  some  other  place  they 
know  not  where,  according  to  others.  Re- 
ligious worship  is  not  to  be  given  to  i  le 
creature,  Mat  4,  9,  10  and  saith,  Jll  these 
things  will  I  give  thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and 
worship  me*    Then  saith   Jesus  to  him.   Get 


■,?^.T 


^BW 


ihee  he\i^e  Saian^  for  it  is  written^  ThoW  sfiiih 
worship  the  Lord  iky  God,  and  him  only  shaft 
thou  servey  That  phrase,  \4nd  him  only  shalt 
thou  serve^  excludes  all  creamres.  Rev.  22. 
8,  9,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the 
angel^  which  shewed  me  these  things  ;  then  saith 
he  to  me,  see  thou  do  it  not^  for  I  am  thy  fellow 
servant^  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets  ^  and  of 
ihem  whith  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book — wor^ 
ship  God.  Which  plainly  shews/  that  God 
only  is  to  be  worshiped  with  a  icligious 
worship.  None  can  rhink  that  Saint  y<j//;2 
intended  to  give  fhe  highest  divine  worship 
to  the  Angel,  who  saith,  do  not  fall  down 
and  worship  me  ;  it  is  God's  due,  Worship 
God.  So  Acts  10.  25,  26.  As  Peter  was  com- 
ing in  Cornelius  m^t  him  and  fell  down  at  his  feet 
md  worshiped  him  ;  but  p€ter  took  him  up, 
sayings  stand  up^  I  myself  am  a  man.  See  also 
Lev.  19.  10.  The  words  of  the  second  com« 
mandment  (which  the  Romanists  either 
leave  out,  or  add  to  the  first  commandment, 
saying.  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  Gods  before 
me^  adding  Iffc.^  I  say,  the  words  of  the  sec- 
ond commandment  are.  Thou  shalt  not  make 
to  thyself  any  graven  image,  or  any  likeness  of  a^ 
ny  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above^  or  that  is  in 
the  earth  beneath^  or  that  is  in  the  waters  under  ^ 
the  earth  ;  thou  shah  not  bow  down  thyse^to 
theMy  nor  serve  them^for  lihe  Lord  thy  God 
urn  a  ^t.Jom  Gcdy  &c.  Tlicse  words  being  in- 
sert^ in  the  Ittter  that    canxc  from   your 

H 


A 


■•  .i  .'■ 


U        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

brother  Eleazer  in  New  England  the  last  sum- 
mer, was  the  cause  of  the  letter's  being  sent 
down  from  Mont  Royaly  and  not  given  to  you, 
when  so  near  you  ;  as  I  suppose,  there  being 
no  other  clause  of  the  letter  that  could  be 
objected  against ;  and  the  reason  why  found 
at  Quebec,  when  I  sent  it  to  you  a  second 
time  enclosed  in  a  lette^r  written  by  myself. 
The  brazen  Serpent  made  by  divine  appoint- 
ment a3  a  type  of  Christ,  when  abused  to 
superstition,  has  by  refor;ning  Hezekiah 
broken  in  pieces.  As  to  what  the  Roman- 
ists plead  about  the  lawfulness  of  image  and 
Saint  wQrship,  from  those  likenesses  of 
things  made  in  Solomon's  temple,  it  is  noth- 
ing to  the  purpose.  We  do  not  say  it  is  un- 
lawful to  make  or  have  a  picture,  but  those 
carVed  images  were  not  in  the  temple  to  be 
adored,  bowed  down  to,  or  worshiped 
There  is  no  manner  of  consequence,  that  be- 
cause there  were  images  made  in  Solomon's 
temple  that  were  not  adored  and  worship- 
ed, that  therefore  it  is  now  lawful  to  make 
and  fall  down  before  images,  and  pray  to 
tbem,  and  so  worship  them.  Religious  wor- 
shiping of  Saints  annot  be  defended  from, 
but  is  forbidden  in  the  scriptures  \  and  for 
fear  of  losing  their  disciples,  the  Romanists 
l^eep  away  from  them  the  Bible,  and  oblige 
them  to  believe  as.  they  say  they  must  be- 
lieve. As  though  tbei  e  was  no  use  to  be 
made  of  our  reason  above  our  souls ;  and 


•^^^  6f  JOHN  williamI 


V  *■ 


..».i\.y,i  A 


yet  tlie  Bereans  were  counted  noble  foV 
searching  the  scriptures  to  see  whether  the 
things  preached  by  St.  Paul  were  so  or  no. 
They  dare  riot  allow  yoU  liberty  to  speak 
with  your  father,  or  others,  for  fear  their  er- 
rors should  be  discovered  to  you,  ^ .  .\ 

Again,  yoU  write  thit  *'  Esther  Jories*  con- 
fessed that  there  was  an  inequality  of  power 
among  the  pastors  of  the  church."     An  af- 
gumeiit  to  convince  the  worlds  that  because 
the  Priests  in  fallacious  ways,  caused  a  wom- 
an distempered  with  a  very  high  fever,  if  not  • 
distracted,  to  say,  she  confessed  there  was  an 
inequality  of  power  among  the  pastors  of  the 
church,  therefore  all  the  world  are  obliged 
to  believe  that  there  is  a  Pop^e  ;  an  argument 
to  be   sent    from  Dan  to   Beersheba^    every 
where,  where  any  English  captives  are,    to 
gain  their  belief  of  a  Pope.     Can  any  ration- 
al man  think,  that  Christ  in  the  seventeenth 
chapter    of  Mathew,   gave  St.  Peter  such   a 
power  as  the  Papists  speak  of ;  or  that  the 
disciples  so  understood  Christ  ?  when  imme- 
diately   there  iroSe   a  dispute  among  them. 
Who  should  be  the  greatest  in  the  kingdom    of 
heaven?  Mat.  18.  1.     jit  the  same  iirfie   came 
the  disciples    of  Jesus  sayings  who  is  the  greatest 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?  The  Rock  spoken  of 
in  the  seventeenth  of  Matthew^  was  not  the 
person  of   Peter,  but   the  confession  made  by 
him  ;  and  the  same  power  is  given  to  all  the 
Disciples,  if  you  compare  one  scripture  with 


i 


I     I' 


88 


CAPTIVITY  AN»  DELIVERANCE 


another;  not  one  Word  in  any  place  of  scrijp- 
ture  of  such  a  vicarship  power  as  a  Pope, 
nor  any  solid  foundation  of  proof  that  Peter 
had  a  greater  authority  than  the  rest  of  the 
Apostles.  1  Cor.  4.  6.  That  you  might  learn 
in  us  9  not  to  think  of  men  above  that  which  is 
written.  Yea,  the  Apostle  condemns  them, 
I  Cor.  1.  12.  for  their  contentions,  One  say- 
ingj  lam  of  Paul^  Jam  of  Apollos^  and  1  of  Ce- 
phas ;  no  more  of  Peter'' s  being  a  foundation 
than  afiy  of  the  rest.  For  we  are  built  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets  Je- 
JUS  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone* 
l^ot  one  word  in  any  of  Peter's  epistles  show- 
ing that  he  had  a  greater  power  than  the 
other  Apostles.'  Nay,  if  the  scriptures  give 
any  preference  it  is  to  Saint  Paul  rather  than 
Saint  Peter.  1^  Cor.  3»  10.  According  to  the 
grace  of  God  which  is  given  to  me^  as  a  wise 
master  builder,  I  have  laid  the  foundation.  1  Cor. 
5.  ^.  4.  For  I  verily  as  absent  in  body  but  present 
in  spirit,  have  Judged  already  as  though  I  were 
present,  concerning  him  that  hath  so  done  this 
deed  :  In  the  name  of  our  La§i^  Jesus  Christ, 
ivhen  we  are  gathered  together,  and  my  spirit^ 
with  the  power  of  our  Ljord  yes  us  Chrits 
\Sfc.  1  Cor.  7.  1 .  Now  concerning  the  things 
whereof  ye  wrote  to  me  ;  application  made  not 
to  St.  Peter  but  Pauly  for  th«  decision  of  a 
controversy  of  scripture.  1  Cor.  11. 8,  Now 
I  praise  you,  brethren,  that  you  remember  ni^  in 
all  things,  and  keep  the  ordinance  as  I  deJlvete4 
them  to  you.    Either  those  spoken  of  Acts  15 ^ 


^r 


dr  JOHN  WILLIAMS 


t^ 


€ff' ihhis  ministry  and  epistles,  2  Cor.  2.  10. 
fir' your  sake  forgave  lit,  in  the  person  of  Christ. 
is  Cor.  II.  28.  That  which  cemeth  upon  me 
daily^  the  care  of  all  the  Churches,  2  Cor.  12. 
11,  12.  For  in  nothing  am  I  behind  the  very 
chief  est  of  the  Apostles  ^though  I  be  nothing  :  Tru- 
ly thejigns  of  an  Apojile  were  wrought  among 
you  in  all  patience^  in  figns  and  wonders  and 
mighty  deeds  ;  2XiA  irt  oUier  places.  Again, 
jf  you  consult  Acts  15,  where  you  have  an- 
account  of  the  first  Synod  or  Council,  you 
will  find  that  the  counsel  ot  sent-  nee  of  the 
Apostle  James  is  followed,  verse  1 9.  Where- 
fore my  sentence  is,  &c.  not  a  word  that  St. 
Peter  was  chief.  Again,  you  find  Peter  him- 
self sent  forth  by  the  other  Apostles ;  Acts 
8.  I*.  The  Apostle^ fent  unto  them  Peter  and 
John,  When  the  church  of  the  Jews  found  . 
fault  with  Peter  for  going  into  th^  Gentiles 
when  he  went  to  Cornelius,  he  does  not  say, » 
why  do  you  question  me,  or  call  me  to  an 
account  ?  I  am  Christ's  Vicar  on  earth. 
When  Paul  reproved  Peter,  Gal.  'i,  he  does  • 
not  defend  hin^self  by  mentioning  an  infalli- 
bility in  himsen%s  Christ's  Vicar,  or  reprove  ' 
Pjf// for  his  boldness. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  can  not  be  a  ■ 
true  church  of  Chrisr.  in  that  it  makes  laws  ' 
directly  contrary  to  the  commands  of  Christ.' 
As  for  example,  in  withholding  the  w1*nfe''0£^ 
the  cup  from  the  laity,  in  the  Lord's  supper^; 
when  as  ChHst  cemmands  the  sartie  to  dtirrV' 
who  were  to   eat.     Their  evasion  that   the-' 

H--2-     ....     '...-. 


i 


i 


Li'"!'  ■ 


•II 


90        CAPTIVITV  AND  DEtlVERANCE 


i>l(X)dis  in  the  body,  and  so  they  partake  ot 
both  in  eatin,;,  is  a  great  fallacy  built  on  a 
false  foundation  of  Transubstantiation.  For 
when  men  eat,  they  cannot  be  said  to  drink, 
which  Christ  commands,;  for  Christ  com- 
mands  that  we  take  up  the  cup  and  drink, 
which  is  not  done  in  eating  ;  besides  the 
Priests  themselves  will  not  be  so  put  off. 
The  wordSi  This  is  f§y  body,  do  only  intend, 
this  doth  signify  or  represent  my  body ; 
which  will  appear  if  you  compare  scripture 
with  scripture ;  for  sifter  the  consecration, 
the  Holy  Ghost  calisit  bread,  and  the  fruit 
of  the  vine.  £xod.  12.  1  U  7/  is  the  Lord's 
fajfover  ;  that  is,  it  represents  it.  In  all  the 
ETangelists^you  read  of  killing  and  eating 
the  passover,  a  few  lines  or  verses  before 
these  words,  This  is  my  body  ;  which  plainly 
show,  that  our  Savior  in  the  same  way  of 
figurative  expression  speaks  of  the  gospel  sac- 
rament. If  these  words  were  taken  as  the 
Romanists  expounded  them,  he  must  eat  his 
own  body  himself,,  whole  and  entire  in  his 
own  hands  ;  and  after  that  each  one  of  the 
disciples  eat  him  entire,  an dipl^  he  sit  at  the 
tabk  whole,  untouched  at  the  same  time  ; 
contradictions  impossible  to  be  dcfen^d  by 
any  rational  arguments.  Yea^  his  whole 
body  must  be  now  in  heaven,  and  in  a  thou- 
sand other  places,  and  in  the  mouth  of  eve- 
ry communicant  at  the  same  time,  and  ti^at 
both  as  a  broken  and  unbroken  sacrificei  and 


be  s 
be  a 
wor 
a  lit 
they 
bod 
Cor 


^,    .  pF  JOHN  WILLIAAH.,  il 

be  subject  to  putrefaction.  Christ  is  said  to 
be  a  door,  a  true  vine,  a  way,  a  Rock.  What 
work  »hall  we  make,  if  we  expound  these  in 
a  litteral  manner  ;  as  the  Romanists  do,  when 
they  say,  Tbis  is  my  body^  is  meant  of  the  real 
body  of  Christ  in  the  Eucharist  ?  k  is  said  i 
Cor.  1 0.  4.  And  did  all  drink  of  the  same 
spiritual  drinks  for  they  drank  of  that  spiritual 
Rock  that  followed  them,  and  that  Rock  was 
Christ,  Was  Christ  literally  a  Rock,  think 
you  ?  Yea  it  is  absurd  to  believe,  that  a  Priest 
uttering  a  few  words  over  a  wafer  not  above 
an  inch  square,  can  make  it  a  God,  or  the 
body  of  Christ  entire  as  it  was  offered  on 
the  cross.  A  blasphemy,  to  pretend  to  a 
power  of  making  Go4  at  their  pleasure  y  and 
then  cat  him,  and  give  him  to  others  to  be 
eaten  or  shut  him  up  in  « their  altars  ;  that 
they  can  utter  the  same  words,  and  make 
a  God  or  not  make  a  God,  according  to  their 
intention  y  and  that  the  people  are  obliged 
to  bei  ^ve  that  it  is  God,  and  so  adore  it, 
when  they  never  heard  any  word  of  conse* 
cration,  nor  kLOw  the  Priest's  intention,  i 
ri  As  to  what  you  write  about  the  Holy 
Mass,  I  reply,  it  is  w  holly  an  human  inven* 
tion  ;  n0t  a  word  of  such  a  sacrifice  in  the 
whole  bible  ;  it  is  being  ?*  sacrifice  propitia^ 
tory  daily  to  be  offered,  is  contrary  to  the 
holy  scriptures.  Heb,  7.  27.  Who  needethnol 
daily ^  as  these  high  priests i  to  offer  up  icrifice 
fir  St  for  bis  own  sins,  and  then  for  the  i  oples  y. 

^:.      .7..'.:     ;,;i,|;i^-V  .-'.'■....* 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y,  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


w 

92;       CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

/or  //>/«  be  did  once y  when  he  offered  up  himrelf: 
i\nd  yet  the  Romanists  say,  there  is  feed 
that  he  be  offered  up  as  a  sacrifice  to  God  ev- 
ery day.  Heb.  9.  12.  By  his  own  biood  he  en- 
tered in  once  into  the  holypiace,  halving  obtained 
eternal  redemption/or  ua»  2^,  26,  27?  28.  Nor 
yet  that  he  should  offer  himfelf  often ^  as  ihe  high 
priest  entereth  into  the  holy  place^  every  year  with 
the  blood  of  others  :  For  then  must  he  often  have 
suffered  since  the  foundation  of  the  world.  But 
new  once  in  the  end  of  the  worlds  hath  he  appear- 
ed to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself  A^ 
it  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die^  but  after  this 
the  judgment  .•  So  Christ  wa^  once  offered  to  bear 
the  sins  of  many.  Heb.  10.  10.  By  which  will 
we  are  sanctified ^  through  the  offering  of  the  body 
of  Jefus  Chrifi  once  for  all.  Verse  1 2.  But  this 
man  after  he  had  •ffered  one  sacrifice  for  sins^ 
forever  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  rf  God,  Verse 
1 4.  For  by  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  forever 
them  that  are  sanctified.  By  which  scriptures 
you  may  see  that  the  Mass  is  not  of  divine 
^pointment,  b*t  an  human  invention.  Their' 
evasion  of  *a  bloody  and  unbloody  sacrifice,  is? 
a  flam  ;  the  holy  scriptures  speak  not  one 
word,  of  Christ  being  offered  as  a  sacrifice 
propitiatory,  after  such  a  sort  as  ^  they  call  an 
unbloody  sacrifice.  All  the  ceremonies  of 
the  MafiS  are  human  inventions^  that  God 
never  commanded^ 

As  to  what  is  in  the  letter  about  praying  : 
for  the  women  after  their  <ieath  is  very  ridio-  - 


s 


:i:''^'' 


i^j 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


iJ.J 


A 


\\l.i"rmM-\:' 


A 


ulous.  For,  as  a  tree  falls,  so  it  lies  ;  as  death 
leaves,  judgment  will  find  :  No  change 
after  death  from  an  afflicted  to  an  happy 
place  and  state.  Purgatory  is  a  fancy, 
for  the  enriching  the  clergy,  and  impov- 
erishing the  laity.  The  notion  of  it  a  fatal 
snare  to  many  souls,  who  sin  with  hopes  of 
easy  getting  priestly  absolutions  at  death, 
and  buying  off  torments  with  their  money* 
The  soul  at  death  goes  immediately  to  judg- 
ment, and  so  to  heaven  or  hell.  No  authen- 
tic place  of  scripture  mentions  so  much  as 
one  word  of  any  such  place  or  state.  Mr. 
Meriel  io\d  me,  "  If  I  found  one  error  in  our 
religion,  it  was  enough  to  cause  me  to  dis- 
own our  whole  religion,'^  ^  By  his  argument 
you  may  sec  what  reason  you  have  to  avoid 
th  at  religion  t h  at  is  so  full  of  errors. 
.;;g  Bethink  yourself,  and  consult  the  scrip- 
tures, if  you  can  get  then),  (I  mean  the  Bi- 
ble) Can  you  think  their  religioo  is  right, 
when  they  are  afraid  to  let  you  have  an 
English  Bible  ?  or  to  speak  with  your  father, 
or  other  of  your  Christian  neighbors,, ^or  fear 
they  would  give  you  such  convictions  of 
truth,  that  they  cannot  remove?  Can  that 
r^eligipu  be  true,  thatcannot  bear  an  examina- 
^tionfrpni  the. scriptures,  that  arc  a  perfect 
^  iTulc  in  matters  of  faith  ?  or  that  must  be  up» 
held;  by  ignorance,  especially  ignorance  af 
the  holy  scriptures  i 


'.i^j 


n 


I 


•1 


<>■ : 


'iX- 


'■] 


1  ,! 
■■-♦ 


,    \ 


t5t»i 


#4        CAPTIVITY  Kst  DELIVE^iOaNCE 


l£:  '     ■^■ 


These  things  have  I  written  as  inmy  Heait 
I  believe.  I  long  for  your  recovei  y,  and 
will  not  cease  to  pray  for  it,  I  am  now 
a  man  of  a  sorrowful  spirit,  and  look 
upon  your  fall  as  the  most  aggravating 
circumstance  of  my  afflictions  ;  and  am 
persuaded  that  no  pains  will  be  wanting, 
to  prevent  me  from  seeing  or  speak- 
ing with  you  ;  but  I  know  that  God^s  grace 
is  all  sufficient :  He  is  able  to  do  abundantly 
above  what  I  can  ask^or  think.  Do  not  give 
way  t<y  discouragement  as  to  your  return  to 
New  England :  Read  over  what  1  have  writ- 
ten, and  keep  it  with  you,  if  you  can  ;  you 
have  no  friei-d  on  earth  that  wisheth  your 
eternal  salvation  more  heartily  than  your 
father.  I  long  to  see  and  speak  with  you, 
but  I  never  forget  you  ;  my  love  to 'you^  and 
to  your  brother  and  sister,  and  to  all  our  fel- 
low prisoners.  Let  me  hear  from  you  as  of- 
ten as  you  can.  I  hope  God  will  appear  for 
us  before  it  be  long. 

There  are  a  great  many  othier  things  in  the 
letter,  that  deserve  to  be  refuted,  but  I  shall 
be  too  tedious  in  remarking  them  all  at  once. 
Yet  would  not  pass  over  that  passage  in  the 
letter,  that  Esther  Jones  confessed  that  there 
were  Seven  Sacraments.  To  which  I  answer, 
that  some  of  the  most  learned  of  the  Romish 
religion  confessed;  (without  the  distracting 
pains  of  a  violent  fever)ai:id  left  itonrecordin 
print,  that  it  cannot  be  convincingly  made 
out  from  scripture,  that  there  are  seven  sac- 


ww^ 


ri      Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS.  rUl*     Si 

raments  ^  ^nd  that  their  most  incontestable 
proof  is  jfrom  tradition,  and  by  their  tradi- 
tions they  might  have  found  seventeen  as 
well  as  seven  :  Considering  that  four  Popes 
successively  spent  their  lives  in  purging  and 
correcting  old  authors.  But  no  men  can  out 
of  the  holy  scriptures,  prove  any  more  than 
two  sacraments  of  divine  instit-ution,  under 
the  New  lestament,  namely,  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  supper.  If  you  make  the  scrip- 
tyres  a  perfect  rule  of  faith,  as  you  ought  to 
do,  you  cannot  believe  as  the  Romish  church 
believes.  Oh  !  see  that  you  sanctify  the  Lord 
himself  in  your  hearty  and  make  him  your 
fear  and  your  dread.  Fear  not  them  that 
can  kill  the  body,  and  after  that  have  no 
more  that  they  can  do  ;  but  rather  fear  him 
that  has  power  to  destroy  both  soul  and 
body  in  hell  fire.  The  Lord  have  mercy  up- 
on  you,  and  shew  you  mercy  for  the  worthi- 
ness and  righteousness  sake «of  Jesus  Christ, 
oyr  great  and  glorious  Redeemer  and  advo« 
cate,  who  makes  intercession  for  transgres- 
sors. My  prayers  are  daily  to  God  for  you, 
your  brother  and  sister,' yea  and  for  all  m.y 
children  and  fellow  prisoi.ers.  1  am  your 
afflicted  and  sorrowful  fa th^r, 

JC  HN  W1LJ.IAMS, 
Chateauvlche,  Mirchy  22,  1706. 

COD  who  is  glorionsly  ixt^  and  rich  fn 
his  grace  to  vile  sinner?:,  was  pleased  to  bfe^ 
poor  and  weak  means  tor  the  recovery  of  my 


i# 


lie 


",1 


■■ !! 


,1 


III!  \ 


•!i/^! 


.!, 


96        CAPTIVITY  and  DELIVERANCE 


child  SO  taken,  and  gave  me  to  see, » that  he', 
did  not  say  to  the   house  of  Jacob,  seek  you 
me  in  vain.     Oh  !  that  every  reader  would 
in  every  difficulty  make  him  their  refuge  ;  < 
he  is  an  hopeful  stay.     To  alleviate  my  sor-  - 
row,  I  received  the  following  letter  in  answer^ 
to  mine.  -^  ^-y"  ^  ^  U  r>^ 

:  y     Mont  Royal,  May  12, 17o6.   '^5. 


ifwj 


Honored  Fataer,^   ^      •'^^10^^  '^biuj^  m$ 

I    received  your  letter  which    you  sent 
— !—,  which  good  letter  I  thank  you   for,f 
andfbr  the  good  counsel  which  you  gave  me  ;/ 
I  desire  to  be   thankful  for  it,  and  hope  \tl 


by 


will  be  for   the  good  of  my  soul.     I  may  say> 
as  in  Psalms,  Tbe  sorrows  of  death  compajpdme^Y 
and   the   pains  of  h^ll  got  hold  on  me  ■:  I  founi^ ' 
trouble  and /or  row,  then  called  1  upon  the  name  i 
4)fthe  Lord ;  0  Lord,  I  beseech    thee,  deliver  my  ^^' 
soul  /  Gracious  is  the  Lord  and  righteous,  yea  our.^ 
God  is  merciful    *As  for  what  you  ask  me  a-"^' 
bout  making  an  abjuration  of  the  Protestant, 
faith   for  the  Romish,  I  durst  not    write  sci^^v 
plain  as  I  would,   but  hope  to  see  and  dis-j: 
course  with  you.     I  am  sorry    for  the  sin  I 
have   committed    in  changing  religion,  for 
which  1  am  greatly  to   blame.     You    may ' 
know  that  Mr.  Meriel  the  school  master,  and 
otheifs,  were  continually  at  me  about  it  ;  at 
last  I  gave  over  to  it,    for  which   I  am  very 
sorry.    As  for  that  letter  you  had  £rom  mc» ; 


''  b?  jrdtiN  WILLIAMS. 


1  /• 


^T^" 


If  was  a  lettisr  transcribed  for  Mr.  Meriel  ; 
and  for  what  he  saith  about  Abigail  Turhet^ 
and  Esther  Jones,  no  body  heard  them  but 
he,  as  I  understand.  \  desire  your  prayers 
to  God  for  me,  to  deliver  me  from  my  sin3* 
Oh  remember  me  in  your  prayers  !  J  am 
your    dutiful  son,  ready  to  take  your  coun-. 

sel.  ,,  -.    ,    ...  .....,.,  „   ,,. , 

Samuel  Williams.   ' 

THIS  Priest  Mr.  Meriel,  has  brought  many 
letters  to  him,  and  bid  him  write  them  over  .^^ 
and  send  them,  and  so  he  has  done  for  many 
others.     By    this,  as  also    my  Mrs.   Stilson\ 
saying,   "  She  does  not  think  that  either  o£ 
these  women  did  change  their  religion  before  , 
their   death  ;"  she  affirms  also,  "  that  often- 
times during  their  sickness,  whilst  they  had 
the  usei  of  their  reason,  they  protested  against 
the    Romish  religion  and  faith.'*     It   is  evi- 
dent that  these  women  never  died  Papists, 
but  that  it  was  a  wily  stratagem  of  the  Priests 
to  advance    their  religion  ;  for  letters  were 
sent    immediately  after  their  death,  to    use 
tills  as  a  persuasive  argument  to  gaih  others*. 
But  God  in  his  Providence  gave  in  farther 
conviction  of  their  fallaciousness  in  this  mat-, 
ter.  ;:;  v-:^;:';  ;■;;*:- ^■'^...•      -     ■ 

For  the  last  summer,  one  Biggilow  ofMarU 
horougby  a  captive  at  Mont  Royal,  was  very 
sick  in  the  hospital,  and  in  the  judgment  <^ 
ali^was  a  sickness  to  death*   Then  the  Pritsts 

5   :%--it*.  .,...,        ■■■■■,      ■•    ; 


(:. 


li 


-\; 


"'II 


'it    i: 


■11, it    : 

■I    J-  ■        \ 


;      ■  P 


m        CAPTIVITY  AN©  DELIVERANCE 

and  others  gave  out,  that  he  was  turned  t« 
be  of  their  religion,  and  taken  into  their 
communion.  But  contrary  to  their  expect- 
ation,  Ke  was  brought  back  from  the  gates 
of  death,  and  would  comply  with  none  of 
their  rites ;  saying,  that  whilst  he  had  the 
.  use  of  his  reason,  he  never  spake  any  thing 
in  favor  of  their  religion  ;  and  that  he  never 
disowned  the  Protestant  faith,  nor  would  he 
now.  So  that  they  were  silenced  and  put  to 
^hame. 

There  is  no  reason  to  think  that  these  two 
women  were  any  more  Papists  than  he  ;  but 
they  are  dead  and  cannot  speak.  One  of 
the  witnesses  spoken  of  in  the  foremention- 
ed  letters,  told  me,  she  knew  of  no  such 
thing  ;  and  said  Mr.  Mer'tel  told  her,  that  he 
never  heard  a  more  fervent. and  affectionate 
prayer,  than  one  which  Esther  Jones  made  a 
little  before  her  death.  1  am  verily  persuad- 
ed, that  he  calls  that  praver  to  God,  so  full 
of  affection  and  fervor,  tne  confession  made 
by  her  of  the  sins  of  her  whole  life.  These 
two  women  always  in  their  health,  and  so  in 
their  sickness,  opposed  all  Popish  principles  ; 
as  all  that  knew  them  can  testify,  so  long  as 
they  could  be  permited  to  go  and  speak 
with  them.  One  of  these  women  was  taken 
from  the  Eastward^  and  the  other^  namely^ 
Esther  Jones  from  Northamftorf* 


•■^0?  JOHN  WILL1AM31.' -^^  ^i 


:^^y.  '■*  ■      At   Quebec.     >''^<  "     I 


'■;  i^'JA:> 


■^  ■«    !  -"VIW 


-^*^  •*.*»«»»  ■'.W.  ■•'»-.»!       .^, 


J:^  *    J#    J 


In  the  beginning  of  March,  1706,  Mf. 
Sheldcn  came  again  to  Canada^  with  letteris 
from  his  Excellency  our  Governor,  at  which 
time  I  was  a  few  days  at  Quebec.  And  when 
1  was  there,  one  night  about  ten  o'clock, 
there  was  an  Earthquake,  that  made  a  report 
like  a  cannon,  and  made  the  houses  to  trem* 
ble  :  It  was  heard  and  felt  many  leagues,  all 
along  the  island  of  St.  Lawrence^  and  other 
places.  When  Mr.  Shelden  dame  the  second' 
time,  the  adversaries  did  what  they  could  to 
retard  the  time  of  our  return,  to  gain  time 
to  seduce  our  young  ones  to  Popery.  Such 
were  sent  away  who  were  ungainable,  and 
most  of  the  younger  sort  still  kept.  Some 
still  flattered  with  promises  of  reward,  and 
great  essays  to  get  others  married  among 
them.  One  debauched,  and  then  in  24* 
hours  of  time  published,  taken  into  their 
communion  and  married  j  but  the  poor  soul 
has  had  time  since  to  lament  her  sin  ani||^ol* 
ly,  with  a  bitter  cry  j  and  asks  your  prayers, 
that  God  of  his  sovereign  grace  would  yet 
bring  her  out  of  the  horrible  pit,  she  has 
thrown  herself  into.  Her  name  was  Riehd 
^i^iores^  oi  Wells. 

In  April,  one  Zebediah  Williams^  of  our 
town  died  ;  he  was  a  very  hopeful  and  pi- 
pus  young  nuib  who  carried  himself  so  in 


-^ 


■;:  .1 


' ) 


11 


iU 


4:1     ''' 


ill 


i 


100        CAPTIVITY  AMD  DELIVERANCE 


bis  captivity,  as  to  edify  several  of  the  En- 
glish,  and  recover  one  fallen  to  Popery,  tak- 
en the  last  war  ;  though  some  were  enraged 
Ugainst  him  on  these  accounts  ;  yet  even  the 
French  where  he  sojourned,  and  with  whom 
he  conversed,  would  say  he  was  a  good  man  ; 
jone  that  was  very  prayerful  to  God,  and 
studious  and  painful  in  reading  the  holy 
scriptures  :  A  man  of  a  good  understanding, 
a  desirable  conversation  :  In  the  beginning 
cf  his  last  sickness  he  made  me  a  visit  (be- 
^re  he  went  to  the  hospital  at  Quebec)  to  my 
^reat  satisfaction,  and  our  mutual  consola- 
jlion  and  comfort  inour  captivity,  as  he  had 
several  times  before,  living  not  above  two 
Diiles  from  me  over  the  river,  at  the  island 
of  St.  Lawrence i  about  six  weeks  or  two 
anonths.  After  his  death,  the  French  told 
mc  Zebcdiah  was  gone  to  hell,  and  damned  ^ 
for,  said  they,  he  has  appeared  since  his  death 
to  one  yosepb.  Eger/y^  (an  Englishman,  who 
was  taken  the  last  warj.  jrl  flaming  fire,  tel- 
ling  him,  he  was  damned  for  rerusing  to  em- 
bram  the  Romish  religion,  when  such  pains 
were  used  to  bring  him  to  the  true  faith  ; 
and  for  being  instrumental  to  draw  him  a- 
way  from  the  Romish  communion,  forsak- 
ing the  Mass  ;  and  was  therefore  now  come 
to  advertise  him  of  his  danger ! — I  told  theiu 
1  judged  it  to  be  a  Popish  lie  j  saying,  I  bless 
God,  our  religion  needs  no  lies  to  uphold, 
maintain  and  establish  it,  as  tbf ir$  4ld«    BRt 


»  Of  JOllN  VViLLIAMS. 


10'^ 


they  affirmed  it  to  be  true,  tellinp  me  Iio^ 
God  approved  of  their  religion,  and  witness- 
ed miraculously  against  ours.  But  I  still 
told  them,  I  was  persuaded  his  soul  was  in 
heaven,  and  that  their  reports  were  only  de- 
vised fables  to  seduce  souls.  For  several 
weeks  they  aflu'med  it,  telling  me,  that  all 
who  came  over  the  river  from  the  island  af- 
firmed it  to  be  a  truth.  I  begged  of  God 
to  blast  this  hellish  design  of  theirs,  so  that 
in  the  issue  it  might  be  to  render  their  relig- 
ion more  abominable,  and  that  they  might 
..not  gain  one  soul  by  such  a  stratagem.  Af- 
fcr  some  weeks  had  passed  in  such  assertions, 
there  came  one  into  my  landlord's  house,  af- 
firming it  to  be  a  truth  reported  of  Zebediah  j 
saying,  Joseph  Egerly  had  been  over  the  riv- 
er, and  told  one  of  our  neighbors  this  story. 
After  a  few  hours  I  saw  that  neighbor;  and 
asked  him,  whether  he  had  seen  Egerly  late- 
ly ?  He  said.  Yes.— What  news  told  he  you  ? 
None,  said  he.  Then  I  told  him  what  was- 
affirmed  as  a  truth.  He  answered^Jj^r^ 
said  nothing  like  this  to  him,  and  he  INHkr-' 
suaded  that  he  would  have  told  him,  i^||pe 
•  had  been  any  truth  in  \u  About  a  week  a£* 
ter  came  one  John  Boult  from  the  island  o£. 
:  St.  Lawrence y  a  lad  td.hen  from  Newfoundland^  ^ 
i  a  very  serious  sober  lad  of  about  seventeen 
-years  of  age  ;  he  had  often  before  come  over 
'ith  Zebediah  to  visit  me.  At  his  coming  i 
i«5  be  I mrh  lamented  the  loss  of  Zebcdrah  ;p 


•f 


.  r 


H2        CAPrnaTY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

and  told  mc,  that  for  sevcrat  wccEs  they  had 
told  him  the  same  story,  affirming  it  to  be  a 
truth,  and  that  F/^erly  was  so  awakened  by 
it,  as  to  go  apjain  to  mass  every  day;  urging 
him,  since  God  in  such  a  miraculous  way  of- 
fered such  conviction  of  the  truth  of  their 
religion,  and  the  falshood  and  danger  of  ours, 
to  come  over  to  their  religion,  or  else  his 
damnation  would  be  dreadfully  aggravated. 
He  said  he  could  have  no  rest  for  them  day 
and  night ;  but  (said  he)  1  told  them  their 
leligion  was  contrary  to  the  word  of  God, 
and  therefore  I  would  not  embrace  it  'y  and 
that  1  did  not  believe  what  they  said.  And 
says  he  to  me,  one  day  I  was  sitting  in  the 
house,  and  Egerly  came  in,  and  1  spake  to  him 
before  the  whole  family  (in  the  French 
tongue,  for  he  could  not  speak  much  En- 
glish)  and  asked  him  of  this  story  :  he  an^ 
swrered,  it  is  a  great  falshood  ;  s:5ying,  he 
never  appeared  to  me,  nor  have  I  ever  re- 
ported any  such  thing  to  any  body  f  and 
.thatiiiike  had  never  been  to  the  Mass  since 
fs  death.  At  the  hearing  of  which 
were  silenced  an,d  put  to  shame.  We 
blessed  God  together  for  discovering*  their 
/^Sgpvickedness,  and  disappointing  them  in  what 
tixey  aimed  at  •,  and  prayed  God  to  deliver 
ais  an#  all  the  captives  from  delusions,  and 
recover  them  who  had  fallen,  and  so  parted* 
After  which  I  took  my  pen  and  wrot€  a  let- 
ter to  QAQ  Mr.  Samuel  J^/ikiiBi^B4Nsh  car- 


t'f  .•' 


^:rk 


Or  JOHN    WILLIAMS,     v 


lOS 


( 


five,  taken  from  Wells,  who  lived  at  Quebec, 
and  his  brother  Ebenexer  Hill,  to  make  a  dis- 
covery of  this  lying  plot,  and  to  warn  them 
of  their  danger,  and  assure  them  of  the  fals- 
hood  of  this  report  ;  but  the  letter  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Priests,  and  was  never  deliv- 
ered. This  Egerly  came  home  with  us,  so 
that  they  gained  nothing  but  shame  by  their 
stratag.  m. — God  often  disappoints  the  crafty 
devices  of  wicked  men. 

In  the  latter  end  of  summer,  they  told  mc, 
they  had  news  from  iV^w  England^  by  one 
who  had  been  a  captive  at  Boston,  who  said 
that  the  ministers  at  Boston  had  told  the 
French  captives,  that  the  Protestant  religion 
was  the  only  true  religion  ;  and  that  as  a 
confirmation  of  it,  they  would  raise  a  dead 
person  to  life  before  their  eyes,  for  their 
conviction  ;  and  that  having  persuaded  one 
to  feign  himself,  dead,  they  came  and  prayed 
over  him,  and  then  commanded*  him  in  the 
name  of  Christ  (whose  retigbn  they  kept 
pure)  to  arise ;  they  called  and  commanded, 
but  he  never  arose  ;  so  that  instead  irf  rais- 
ing the  dead,  they  killed  the  living  ;  \yiich 
the  bereaved  relations  discovered!  I  toW 
them,  it  was  an  old  lie  and  calumny  ag^st 
Luther  and  CalviR,  new  vamped,  ?nd  that 
they  only  change  the  persons  and  place.  ]^| 
they  affirm  it  to  be  a  truth,  i  told  tiiefli§i 
wondered  they  were  so  fond  of  a  faith  .pro- 
pagatad,  an^  then  maintaiued  by  lying 
words,  ■  "^ 


lid     V 


III 


,r 


I  » 


i,:^i 


lOi        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

We  were  always  out  of  hopes  of  being  re-- 
turned  before  winter,  the  season  proving  so 
cold  in  the  latter  end  of  September,  and  were 
praying  to  God  to  prepare  our  hearts  with 
an  holy  submission  to  his  will,  to  glorify  his 
holy  name  in  a  way  of  passive  obedience, 
in  the  winter.  For  my  own  part,  I  was  in- 
formed by  several  who  came  from  the  city^ 
that  the  Lord  intendant  said,  if  }Jore  re- 
turned and  brought  word  that  J5^///j  was  in 
prison,  he  would  put  me  in  prison,  and  lay 
me  in  irons.  They  would  not  permit  me  to 
go  into  the  city,  saying,  I  always  did  harm 
when  I  came  to  the  city.  And  if  at  any 
time  Iwas  at  the  city,  they  would  persuade 
the  Governor  to  send  me  back  again.    <    .; 

In  the  beginning  of  last  June,  the  superior 
of  the  Priests  came  to  the  parish  where  I  was, 
and  told  me,  he  saw  \  wanted  my  friend 
Captain  de  BeauvilUy  and  that  1  was  ragged.  > 
But  says  he,  your  obstinacy  against  our  re- 
ligion, discutages  from  providing  better 
doaths,  I  told  him,  it  was  better  going  in  a 
ragged  coat,  than  with  a  ragged  consciencer 

In  the  beginning  of  last  June,  went  out  an 
army  of  five  hundred  Macquas  and  Indians,  < 
with   an  intention  to  have  fallen  on  some  - 
English  towns   down  Con^cticut  river  ;  but 
lighting  on  a  S^<a/jf^«>^  Indian,  who  ran  away*^- 
in  the  night,  they  were  discouraged  \  saying, 
he^  would  alarm  the  whole  country.    Abou* '. 


-^   Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS.  |^,^         \6& 


fifty,  as  some  say,  or  eighty,  as  others,  re- 
turned. Thus  God  restrained  their  wrath, 
i.  When  they  were  promising  themselves  an- 
other winter,  to  draw  away  the  English  to 
Popery,  came  news  of  an  English  brigantine 
a  coming  ;  and  that  the  honorable  Captain 
Samuel  Appleton,  Esq.  was  coming  ambas- 
sador to  fetch  off  the  captives,  and  Captain 
John  Bonner,  with  him.  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  the  clergy  and  others,  labored  to  stop 
many  of  the  prisoners.  To  some  liberty,  to 
some  money,  and  yearly  pensions  were  offec- 
cd,  if  they  would  stay.  Some  they  urged  to 
tarry  at  least  till  the  spring  of  the  year  j  tel- 
ling them  it  was  so  late  in  the  year,  they 
would  be  lost  by  shipwreck,  if  they  went 
now  ;  some  younger  ones  they  told,  if  they 
went  home  they  would  be  damned  and 
burnt  in  hell  forever,  to  affright  them  ;  day 
and  night  they  were  urging  them  to  stay. 
And  I  was  threatened  to  be  sent  aboard,  with- 
out a  permission  to  come  ashore  again,  if  I 
should  again  discourse  with  any  of  the  En- 
glish,  who  were  turned  to  their  rellgiorf. 
At  Mont  Royal  especially  all  crafty  endeavors 
were  used  to  stay  the  English.  Ihey  told 
my  child,  if  he  would  stay,  he  should  have  an 
honorable  pension  (toua  the  King  every  year» 
and  that  his  master,  who  was  an  old  ma% 
and  the  richest  in  Canada,  would  give  him  a 
great  deal;  telling  him,  if  he  returned  h^ 
would  be  poor  for  (said  they)  you^th^p  h 


;^l; 


'  "1  ■ 


I 


'H 


.1 


li 


106        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 

poor,  has  lost  all  his  estate,  it  was  all  burnt. 
But  he  would  not  be  prevailed  with  to  stay. 
And  others  were  also  in  like  manner  urged 
to  stay  ;  but  God  graciously  broke  the  snare, 
and  brought  them  out.  They  endeavored 
in  the  fall  of  the  year,  to  have  prevailed  with 
my  son  to  have  gone  to  France,  when  they 
saw  he  would  not  come  to  their  communion 
any  more.  One  woman  belonging  to  the 
Eastern  parts,  who  had  by  their  persuasions, 
married  an  English  captive  taken  the  last 
war,  came  away  with  her  husband  ;  which 
made  them  say,  they  were  sorry  they  ever 
persuaded  her  to  turn  to  their  religion,  and 
then  to  marry  j  for  instead  of  advancing 
their  caiise  by  it  they  had  weakened  it  ;  for 
novir  they  had  not  only  tost  her,  but  another 
they  thought  they  had  made  sure  of.  An- 
other woman  belonging  to  the  Eastward, 
who  had  been  flattered  to  their  religion,  to 
whom  a:  Bible  was  denied,  till  she  promised 
toembr^te  their  religion,  and  then  had  the 
pmmise  of  it  for  a  little  time  ;  opened  her 
3wS^  while  in  the  church,  and^present  at 
mass,sheread  the  fourth  chapter  of  Deuteron- 
omy, and  received  such  conviction  whilst  read- 
ing, that  before  her  first  communion  she  fell 
off  from  them,  and  could  never  be  prevailed 
with  any  more  to  be  of  their  religion. 

We  have  reason  to  bless  Qod,  who  has 
wrought  deliverance  for  so  many  ;  and  yet 
pray  to  God  for  a  door  of  escape  to  be  opefl- 


,/>' 


Of  JOHN  WILLIAMS. 


tifiJ   1l> 


lor 


I 


ed  for  the  great  number  yet  behind,  not 
much  short  of  an  hundred  j  many  of  which 
are  children,  and  of  these  not  a  few  among 
the  Savages,  and  having  lost  the  English 
tongue,  wiU  be  lost,  and  turn  Savages  in  a 
little  time,  unless  something  extraordinary 
prevent. 

The  vessel  that  came  for  us,  in  its  voyage 
to  Canada,  struck  on  a  bar  of  sands,  and 
there  lay  in  a  very  great  hazard  for  four  tides; 
and  yet  they  saw  reason  to  bless  God  for 
striking  there  ;  for  had  they  got  over  that 
bar,  they  should  at  midnight  in  a  storm  of 
snow  have  run  upon  a  terrible  ledge  of 
rocks. 

We  came  away  from  Quebec^  October  25, 
and  by  contrary  winds,  and  a  great  storm, 
we  were  retarded,  and  then  driven  back 
nigh  the  city,  and  had  a  great  delivjcrance 
from  shipwreck,  the  vessel  striking  twice  on 
a  rock  in  that  storm.  But  through  God*s 
goodness  we  aU  arrived  in  safety  at  Boston, 
^lovember  21  ;  the  number  of  captives  fifty 
seven,  two  of  which  were  my  children,  t 
have  yet  a  daughter  of  ten  years  of  age,  and 
mlny  neighbors,  whose  case  bespeaks  ypur 
compassion,  and  prayers  to  God,  to  gather 
them,  being  outcasts  ready  to  perish. 

At  our  arrival  at  Boston,  we  founc^  the 
kindnesses  of  the  Lord  in  a  wonderful  man- 
ner ;  in  God's  opening  the  hearts  of  many  to 
bless  God  with  us  and  for  us ;  wonderfully  to 


If*: 


'-■■!  l 


.1- 

t 

f 


>..  i 


'  1 


::t- 


J6B        CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE 


give  for  our  supplies  in  our  needy  stisite. 
We  are  under  obligations  to  praise  God,  for 
disposing  the  hearts  of  so  many  to  so  great 
charity  ;  and  under  great  bonds  to  pray  for 
a  blessing  on  the  heads,  hearts  and  families 
of  them  who  so  liberally  and  plentifully  gave 
for  our  relief.  It  is  certain,  that  the  charity 
of  the  whole  country  of  Canada^  though 
moved  with  the  doctrine  of  merit,  does  not 
come  up  to  the  charity  of  Btfsian  alone,  where 
notions  of  merit  are  rejected  ;  but  acts  of 
charity,  performed  out  of  a  right  Christian 
spirit,  from  a  spirit  of  thankfulness  to  God, 
out  of  obedience  to  God's  command,  and  un- 
feigned  love  and  charity  to  them  that  are  of 
the  same  family  and  houshold  of  faith.  The 
Lord  grant,  that  all  who  devise  such  liberal ; 
things,  may  find  the  accomplishment  of  the; 
promises  made  by  God  in  their  own  persons 
and  theirs  after  them,  from  generation  to . 
generation. 


•."'^-■;r. 


^'r. 


c. 


r^M^m        *  T  «*ia 

i««»» 

■*■ 

■:^.'^\4!tv    ' 

r^.^  - 

-mh^ 

Short 

ACCOUNT 

OF  THE    TIIOUBLES 

AEIE 

ING   IN 

Canada. 

"*,"'  T 

'■»■  «fT-« 

• 

<mm*>^^Mm 

ipi 

».* 

109 


s:  Id^. 


^.M  ,,  ,   S^„  , 


1  SHALL  annex  a  sliott  accotint  of 
tke  troubles  begginning  to  rise  in  Canada. — 
On  May  16,  arrived  a  canoe  zt  Quebec,  that 
brought  letters  from  Missisippi,  written  the 
JVf^jf  preceding  ;  giving  an  account  that  the 
plague  was  there,  and  that  one  hundred  and 
fifty  French^  in  a  very  littk  time  had  died  of 
it  4  and  that  the  savages  called  the  Lezilou- 
ivays,  were  very  turbulent,  and  iiad  with  their 
arrows  wounded  a  Jesuit  in  €ve  places,  and 
killed  a  Frenchman  thdit  waited  on  him.     In 
yuly,  news  came,  that  the  nations  up  the 
Tiver  were-engaged  in  a  war  one  against  the 
other  ;  and  that  the  French  living  so  among 
them,  and  trading  with  them,  were  in  great 
^danger  ;    that    the  MUchel  Macquinas  had 
«nade  war  with  the  Mizianmies^  and  had  kil- 
led a  Mendicant    Fryar    and    three   other 
Frenthmen^  and  eleven  savages,  at  a  place  cal- 
led  the  Straits,  wlicre  they  were  settling  a 
garrison  and  a  place  of  traffic  ;  the  Mitchel 
Macquinas  had  taken  sixteen  Frenchmen  pris- 
oners, and  burnt  their  trading  houses.  These 
tidings  made  the  French  very  full  of  perplc*:- 


If 


V      I 


, 


I 


!     ! 


>i  .M 


110     CAPTIVITY  AND  DELIVERANCE  &c. 

ing  troubles  ;  but  the  Jesuits  arc  endeavor* 
ing  to  pacify  them  :  But  the  troubles  vhen 
we  came  away,  wer^  rather  increasing  than 
lessening  ^  for  the  last  letters  from  the  French 
prisoners  at  Mitchel  Macquina,  report,  that 
the  Savages  had  sent  out  two  companies,  one 
of  an  hundred  and  fifty^  another  of  an  hun« 
dred  and  sixty,  against  the  Savages  at  the 
Straits ;  and  they  would  engage  as  well  a- 
gainst  the  i^r^;^i&  as  the /i^/^/tr, 

V 

i 


-.*r 


f 


.*■ 


From  the  weekly  news  letter.  No.  ISO, 


^NI> 


*i. ,  ■'A  , 


THE  WEEKLY  JOURNAL  No.    119* 

^^'^  Deerjleldy  June  16.  172§. 

v  ON  the  12th  Inst,  died  here  oitr  Rev. 
and  beloved  Pastor,  Mr.  John  Williams,  in 
the  65th  Year  of  his  Age.  The  Lords  Day 
preceding,  he  preached  on  both  parts  of  the 
day,  though  be  felt  himself  something  heavy, 
and  indisposed.  Being  but  a  few  days  be* 
fore  returned  from  his  Journey  to  Boston. 
On  monday  morning  he  was  seized  with  a 
it  of  the  Apoplexy.  After  which  we  per- 
ceived, by  the  signs  he  gave  on  our  speaking 
to  him.  he  had  the  exercise  of  reason,  but 
never  spoke  more  than  two  or  three  words. 
And  on  thursday  half  an  hour  before  one  ia 
the  morning,  he  expired  to  our  great  surprise 
and  distress,  unto  whom,  he  was  on  the  best 
accounts  greatly  endeared.  On  the  Friday 
following,  he  vras  decently  interred.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Chancey  of  Hadley  preached  a  Fu- 
neral  Sermon  on  the  Occasion-— A  very 
grievous  breach  is  made  not  only  upon  tfai$ 
lock  of  Christ,  but  also  upon  this  County 
and  neighborhood,  so  soon  after  the  de^ta 
of  Mr.  Stoddard  of  Northampton*    ^^m  it 


f  ; 


m&i 


112  FROM  THE  WEEKLY  NEWS  LETTER  No.  130, 

ought  to  be  considered  as  a  great  and  public 
loss,  as  a  fall  of  one  of  the  Pillars  of  the  Land. 
Mr.  Williams  began  his  ministry  among  us 
in  May  1686>  And  was  the  first  and  only 
settled  Pastor  that  hath  been  in  this  place* 
God  who  sent  him  to  us,  and  inclined  his 
heart  to  settle  with  us  in  our  small  begin* 
ings^  hath  made  him  a  great  blessing  unto 
us,  and  we  iiope,  through  grace  he  hath  left 
many  Seals  of  his  Ministry  among  us.  He 
was  sincerely  devoted  to  tlie  seirvice  of  Christy 
who  graciously  endowed  tiim^  with  very 
valuable  Ministerial  abilities.  He  was  much 
in  prayer,  and  singularly  gifted  in  it.  He 
was  heartily  concerned  for  the  interest  of 
Religion,  and  the  best  good  of  this  people^ 
and  a  constant  intercessor  of  the  Throne  d 
Grace  for  the  same.  Frbni  his  ardent  care 
to  promote  the  honor  of  Christ,  and  the  sal- 
vation of  precious  souls  he  was  **  abundank 
in  his  labors,  both  in  season  and  out  of  sea- 
ison/*  Plainly,  faithfully,  and  JFrequently 
charging  and  instructing  Ijoth  Elder,  and 
iTbunger,  affectionately  dispensing  the  most 
seasonable  Counsels,  and  warning  to  his  peo- 
ple. Travelling  in  Birth  with  them,  till 
Christ  was  found  iii  them,  and  adorning  the 
doctrine  of  God  our  Savior  in  a  very  circum« 
spect,  holy  and  blameless  life.  Mr.  Wil^ 
LiAMs  would  sometimes  say ''  it  is  a  dangei> 
ous  thing  to  be  ?et  in  the  front  of  New  Eng- 
land's sins*'— The  divine   providence   that 


in 
bii 

da 


0, 


AND  Tim  WEEKLY  JOURNAL  No  118,        tU 

I. 

fixed  his  post  in  one  of  the  frontier  towns 
in  the  Province  fitted  him  for  it,  by  giving 
bim  courage,  patience,  and  cheerfulness  of 
spirit,  so  that  he  was  wonderfully  carried '^ 
through  all  the  difficulties,  destractions,  and< 
dangers  that  he  encountered.  And  his^ 
prayers,  counsels,  and  example,  did  not  a  lit* 
tie  cbntribute  to  the  support  and  encourage- 
ment of  his  people  from  time  to  time.  And 
on  that  Tragical  Morning,  ever  to  be  remem- 
bered by  us,  February  *29,  1 703,  4,  When 
the  bigest  part  of  the  town  was  surprized^ 
and  either  destroyed,  or  made  captives  Ly 
the  French,  and  Indian  Enemy  ;  of  this  cup, 
he  and  his  family  drank  as  deep  as  any.  Two 
of  his  children  and  a  Negro  Woman  being 
killed  on  the  spot,  htmsdf  and  all  the  rest  of 
his  family,  except  his  eldest  son  who  was  ab- 
sent from  home,  made  prisoners,  and  soon 
driv^en  out  of  the  house  for  a  march,  where- 
in first  his  Negro  Man,  and  then  his  deat 
Wif^  were  murdered  by  the  cruel  savages  ; 
under  which  extraordinary  trials  he  had 
much  of  the  divine  presence,  and  supports. 
God  wonderfully  preserved  hhn,  through 
the  cold  and  hardships  of  the  dreadful  march 
of  300  miles  throi^h  the  deserts  to  Canada- 
: And  there  God  efiablefl  him  to  withstand, 
aU  the  methods  that  were  used  to  draw  or 
drive  hitt),  to  a  compliance  with  Popish  Woi^- 
ship  and  superstition  ;  and  even  to  yield 
/hiifiifielf  an  ofiering  to  God,  when  hi»  furioOs 

X  2 


i 

' 


^•1' 


u 


^ 


114   FK0M  THR  WEEKLY  NEWS  lETTER  Nft.  180, 


Indian  Muter  stood  over- him  with  hi&hatch» 
et  threatening  present  deaths  if  he  would  not 
comply  to  cross  himself,  and  kiss  a  Crucifix, 
bb  hear t  and  courage  were  strengthened  so 
that  he  said,^^  1  wm  sooner  die  ichan  sin  a« 
gainst  God"-'— And  his.  counsels  when  he 
could  find  opportunity  to  give  them,  were 
greatly  serviceable,  tathe  strengthening  the 
other  captives.  > 

After  two  years  and^eight  months  captivity 
he  obtained  deliverance,,  through  the  good 
hand  of  God,,  and  the  care  of  this  Govern^ 
ment,  and  arrived  at  Boston,  Nov,  21, .1 706 
with  57  captive,  two  of  which  were  his^chiU 
dren  :  But  a.  more  particular  account  of  these 
things  may  be  seen  in  his  book  entitled,  the 
Captivity  and  deliverance&c;  upon  the  whole 
was  observable,  that  by  the  natural  vivacity^ 
calmness  and  evenness  of  his  temper^  and  a 
gracipus  resignation,  his  spirit  was  kept  un* 
%)roken,  through  all  his  sore  trials.  And  by 
the  presence  of  Christ  with,  him,  he  came 
forth  as  gold  refined  and  more  fitted  for  his 
Masters  use  ;,  having-  learned  obedience  by 
the  things  which  he  suffered. 

Not  long  afterwards,  lie  resettled  at  Deeiv 
field,.  wiHingly  returning,  to.  his  beloved 
work,  and  friends,  and  continued  laboring 
with  diem  in  all  seasons,  and  amidst  the  dif- 
ficulties and  troubles,  that  attended  such  a 
frontier  Town  by  the  Indian  Wars  from 
-lime  to  tioae;    His  presence  among   them 


eo| 

ph 

St; 

thl 

in 

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AND  THE  WEEKLY  JOURNAL  No,  11%      tI6 


conduced  much  to  th«  rebuilding  of  the 
place  :  which  is  now  in  flourishing  circum- 
stances. And  God  dealt  with  bun  some- 
thing after  the  manner  as  vvith  Job  ;  open- 
ing the  hearts  of  several  worthy  Gentlemen, 
as  well  as  his  relations,  to  contribute  bounti- 
fully to  his,  and  his  families  relief,  whose 
generosity  must  be  principally  acknowledg- 
ed under  God,  in  the  liberal  education  of 
his  two  elder  sons,  besides,  many  other  kind- 
nesses to  his  family.  He  was  once  and  again 
called  by  public  authority  to  serve  as  a  Chap- 
lain, in  the  expedition  against  Port  Royal, 
and  in  that  designed  against  Canada,  under 
General  Hill  and  Admiral  Walker*  And  to 
a  winter  Journey  to  Canada  with  Col.  Stod- 
dard, for  the  redemption  of  captives.  Which 
negotiation  succeeded  as  to  some,  but  not  as 
to  his  own  daughter,  who  continues  to  this 
day  among  the  Macquas  !  a  subject  of  pity 
and  prayer. 

He  was  second  son  of  Deacon  Samuel 
Williams  of  Roxbury,  born  there  December 
ao,  1664.  Had  his  education  at  Harvard 
College,  given  him  by  his  honored  and  pi- 
ous  Grandfather  Deacon  William  Park.  He 
was  twrce  married,  first  to  the  only  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Eleazer  Mather,  first  Pastor  of 
Northampton.  The  second  time  to  the 
daughter  of  Capt.  Allen  pf  Windsor,  both  the 
grandchildren,  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham,  for-» 
merly  Pastor  of  Windsor,  who  is  now  hi 


.\» 


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M  FROM  -nit  ^tW(tY  Kft WJ^  LOTtfiri  No.  ISO.  &c. 

gorrowfiil  relict.  By  the  former  he  was 
blessed  with  eleven  children,  and  five  by  the 
htter,  Eight  of  which  only  do  survive  him, 
▼12.  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  His  three 
elder  sons  arc  worthy  pastors  of  Churches, 
in  Mansfield,  Springfield  and  Watertown. 
Hi»  eldest  daughter  n:>arricd  to  Mr.  Meach* 
%m  the  PMor  of  Coventry.  His  fourth  son 
Is  now  at  the  College  in  Cambridge  ;  who 
it  is  to  be  desired  may  meet  with  the  kind* 
Aess  of  Survivors  for  his  fathers  sake.         . « 


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